Primal
by SilverKitsune2017
Summary: Fem Sasuke x Naruto. Suki Uchiha knew that she could never fully articulate her bond with Naruto. Theirs was primal bond that refused to be severed. "What kind of Hokage would I be, if I can't even save my friend?" He asked her. Eventually, he did become Hokage and save her. He was wrong about them being friends though. Their bond was far too primal for such an innocent label.
1. Chapter 1

Primal

 **Author's Note:** This is a female Sasuke x Naruto story. In this story, Sasuke was born female and her name is Suki. Some parts of this story will line up with cannon and other parts will diverge radically. If any of that bothers you, you might want to turn back now. For those of you still here, I hope you enjoy this story and reviews are always appreciated.

 **Disclaimer:** I own nothing and make no profit off of any of my stories.

Chapter 1

"Not again." Suki Uchiha whispers to herself as she watches the Sun rise over the Sound Village.

Three years. That was how long she had been away from the Leaf Village. She refused to call that place her home, but then again neither was the Sound. Home was where the heart was and her heart had been shattered when she was seven years old.

On the day that Itachi butchered every other member of their Clan, Suki Uchiha lost everything. Well she had lost everything except for her life. She had lost her loving family and her home. The Uchiha District and Leaf Village had just been where she happened to live. They hadn't truly been home.

"Not what again?" Kabuto asks her as he approaches the last Uchiha.

Suki felt her eyes narrow as the medic sauntered over to her. He was Orochimaru's lapdog. If Orochimaru wasn't watching her, Kabuto usually was. It was a rare moment that she had any actual privacy in the Sound Village.

Usually, that was fine. She hadn't come to the Sound because she wanted to live there. Suki had come because she needed to. The raven haired woman needed to get stronger. She needed to get stronger so she could defeat Itachi and avenge her Clan.

"It's nothing. I just couldn't sleep. It's probably a mild reaction from whatever poison you injected into me, yesterday." She says, thinking quickly.

At moments like these, she desperately wanted to be alone though. Try as much as she might, she couldn't forget him. Damn that loser. His heartbroken expression shouldn't still haunt her and the memory of his smile shouldn't still comfort her.

"Ah. Well perhaps we'll skip the injections for today. We don't want to push our luck too far. After all, you are going to be Orochimaru's next body. We can't have you dying on us." He says.

The Sun and blue skies reminded her of him most. So almost every day, she thought of him. She hated herself for it just as often, but there was no use denying the fact that she hadn't been able to severe their bond completely.

"Yes, that would be such a shame." Suki replies dryly.

"Indeed, it would. You remember the deal. Lord Orochimaru will make you strong enough to kill Itachi, in exchange for you becoming his next vessel." He states as he pushes his glasses up the bridge of his nose.

Suki was tempted to grab those glasses and shatter them. Everything about Kabuto irked her. Everything about Orochimaru made her uneasy. The only thing that she wanted more than getting away from this place was Itachi's death. Unfortunately, that meant that she had to stay for the time being.

"How could I forget? You're constantly reminding me." Suki snaps at him.

"Now, now. Suki, what's wrong? You sound rather distressed this morning." She hears an all too familiar voice say.

Damn it. The snake was up early today. She sighs as she glances at the Sun one last time, before turning around to face her "Sensei."

"I'm upset because Kabuto insists on pointing out the obvious and I didn't sleep well last night. Thanks to his poisons." She mutters in disgust.

"Perhaps you should take a day to rest." Orochimaru suggests as he caresses her cheek.

The action made Suki's skin crawl. The last Uchiha wanted nothing more than to unsheathe her sword and cut his hand off. The very fact that he would dare to touch her, even platonically made her burn with rage.

"Perhaps you should remove your hand. I agreed to be your vessel and nothing else. I'm not going to rest. Itachi is still out there and he's likely getting stronger every day. I don't have time to waste!" Suki snaps at him.

"There's that famous Uchiha fire. Come, Suki. We have a lot of work to do." Orochimaru says as he gestures for her to follow him towards the forest.

Suki knew what that meant. The snake was going to continue her training today. She sighs and mentally braces herself. Hopefully, she would at least learn something useful because it was likely going to be a very long day.

"Damn it." She mutters under her breath as she follows the Legendary Sannin.

Meanwhile Naruto was traveling with Jirayia. It was still early in the morning, but the blonde didn't mind that. They were so close! They were almost back home.

It was going to be great to see Sakura and Kakashi Sensei again! Hell, he was even curious to see what Konohamaru and Granny Tsunade were up to. Not to mention, he was eager see how much stronger the other members of the Rookie Nine had become.

"I'd say another hour or two and we'll be back in the Leaf. I bet that you're happy about that." The Toad Sage says cheerfully.

That last thought causes him to frown. The Rookie Nine wasn't complete anymore. Suki had been missing for years and they were no closer to finding her than on the day she left.

"Yeah! It'll be great to be home again." Naruto says, forcing a smile to his face and some cheer into his voice.

He didn't want Pervy Sage to know how upset he was about that. Whining about it wasn't going to bring her back. They would find a way though. He hadn't given up his former teammate. He never would.

"I don't think you're lying to me, but you don't have to pretend to be happy. I know that you're worried about her. You have a very good reason to be. Orochimaru will be wanting to make the transfer soon." Jirayia says somberly.

That was the strange thing about Jirayia. One moment, he'd be laughing about "research" and the next minute, he'd transform into a serious ninja. A serious ninja who was worthy of the titles Sage and Sannin. Frankly, his second Sensei's dual nature made him dizzy sometimes.

"We'll find her though. That freak is NOT going to kill her!" Naruto says.

"Kid, I'm not going to lie to you. We'll do our best, but it doesn't look good." Jirayia tells him.

Naruto clenches his fists so hard, that he could feel his fingernails cut into the skin. His teeth soon followed. The blonde grits them so tightly that it was borderline painful, but he had to do it. It was the only way that he wouldn't completely explode at the underlying implication.

Pervy Sage was saying that there was a chance that they wouldn't be able to save her. He was trying to prepare Naruto for the possibility that Suki might not make it out of the Sound Village alive. Naruto wasn't going to let that happen though!

"You don't know her! She's a survivor. First, there was the Massacre. Then there was the fight with Haku. Suki isn't easy to kill!" Naruko protests.

Jirayia sighs and nods. He really wanted to tell the kid that they'd find his friend, but he didn't want to lie to the boy. Unfortunately, Naruto was still a young ninja. The only deaths that he had seen or could remember, hadn't had a direct impact on him.

The Third Hokage had died and that probably hurt Naruto, but he hadn't watched the man die. That and it was somewhat expected. Sarutobi had been an old man. He had lived far longer than most ninjas ever would. His death had been a tragic loss for them all, but not a surprise.

"I know she's tough, Naruto. Orochimaru wouldn't have been interested in her, if she was weak. We'll organize a search party and look for her. For now, we know she's safe. He's not going to allow anything to happen to her, until that transfer can take place." The Toad Sage points out.

Naruto had seen Haku and Zabuza die, but that was different. While the blonde had felt sympathy towards Haku, he wasn't a comrade. He wasn't a friend. Suki's death would be far more painful. Honestly, Jirayia wasn't really sure that Naruto would be able to handle it.

That's why he wanted to save the girl. He supposed in a way, Suki was Naruto's Tsunade. He would have been utterly devastated if something happened to Tsunade. So he could relate.

"How long do we have?" Naruto dares himself to ask.

"At least three months, maybe six." Jirayia informs him.

 _Three months._ They only had three months left. The Leaf had already been looking for Suki for three years.

Naruto felt it again. A primal rage. It was Kurama's chakra, but the anger was his own. He wasn't going to let that damn snake kill his friend!

He had almost lost her once during the fight with Haku. For a few short moments, he had actually thought she was dead. He never wanted to feel that way again!

"I'm going to kill him." He growls.

"Naruto, our first priority is to rescue her. If we can take Orochimaru out, we will. Don't do something reckless though. Don't rush in without at plan and get yourself killed. Orochimaru is a highly dangerous ninja. He killed the Third Hokage. Remember that." The Sage warns him.

"I know. Saving her comes first, but I'm still going to kill him." Naruto replies.

He didn't get to treat her that way. Orochimaru get to talk about Suki like he owned her or she was a thing. He damn sure wasn't going to get away with placing a curse mark on her and then trying to steal her body! Naruto was going to save his friend and then he was going to make sure that that snake couldn't hurt anyone again.

Naruto knew that it was wrong. He shouldn't want to hurt people. It was one thing to kill someone in self-defense. That was just a fact of life when you were a ninja. It was another to kill someone because you HATED them. He definitely hated Orochimaru.

"Well we're home, kid." Jirayia tells him with a smile.

He hoped that this would be good for Naruto. Maybe being back in the Leaf would help him. There was a lot of Minato and Kushina in Naruto, but he couldn't help but worry about the Nine Tails. Jirayia suspected that it was likely starting to influence him, just a little too much.

A few weeks pass and Suki was pleased with her progress. She now had two Summon Contracts and could radiate a Chidori all along her body. She could even channel it through her sword.

"You're doing wonderfully and rather fortunate that Aoda took a liking to you. He's far less demanding than Manda." Orochimaru observes.

"You mean the monster that demands a hundred human sacrifices before he'll even consider following your orders?" Suki asks dryly.

Orochimaru was truly a psychopath. Suki wanted Itachi dead. She wanted him dead more than anything, but her bloodlust wasn't a blind one. She wouldn't kill innocent people to accomplish her goal. Well at least not if the last female Uchiha could help it.

"He's not a monster. He's a snake. There is vast difference between a large snake and a monster. Essentially though, you are correct. Yes, he does require one hundred sacrifices. It's rather annoying, but well you get what you pay for." Orochimaru replies with a smirk.

Suki resists the impulse to punch his teeth out for that comment. How could he speak so casually about a hundred people dying?! It was if there deaths were no more consequential to him than a paper cut. It was disgusting!

"He's not a monster because he's a snake. He's a monster because he requires that many sacrifices. Aoda doesn't ask his Summoner to do such things. It's clearly not necessary." She mutters.

"You're surprisingly tenderhearted for an avenger. Suki, you're a ninja. You're a killing machine. It's what we do. Only the strong survive. Mercy is a childish notion. A childish notion that will get you killed one day." Orochimaru tells her.

"When it comes to Itachi, I'll show no mercy. After that, it doesn't matter. You're taking my body anyway." She mutters.

Orochimaru smirks. He had trained her well. Finally, he would have the perfect vessel.

Truly, it was a pity. She would have been the perfect companion, despite her age. Unfortunately, she was likely going to be the key to him unlocking immortality. That meant that she had to be sacrificed.

"A valid point, my dear." He coos at her.

Suki bites her tongue so hard, that she could taste some of her own blood. She wanted so badly to lash out at him. A Chidori below the belt sounded like a fine idea at the moment, but she knew that it wouldn't end well.

She still needed him. Suki knew that she was a lot stronger than she was three years ago. What she didn't know is how she would stack up against Itachi at this point.

"Whatever. It's been a long training session and I imagine that you need your rest." Suki says.

"Such a vicious little thing you are. Reminding me of my deteriorating condition was not very nice. Regrettably, you are correct. Good night, Suki." He says as he walks off.

Suki was tempted to thrust her sword into his back and end him. As much as she wanted to do that, she knew that now wasn't the time. There was still more that she could learn from him.

"I saw that look. You wanted to kill him." Kabuto says from behind her.

"And you're a stalker. There's a big difference between wanting to do something and actually doing it. I'm certain that Orochimaru knows how I feel about him." She says with a shrug.

"I will never understand you. Orochimaru is offering you the world and you still scorn him." The silver haired medic says.

Suki's eyes narrow. Orochimaru wasn't offering her the world. What he was offering was a temporary power boost and an early death.

"You're right about one thing. You'll never understand me. Unlike you, I don't worship him. I'm using him as a means to an end. The same thing that he is doing to me." She hisses.

"I hope that you don't have some childish notion that you'll be able to kill Itachi and then Orochimaru. Perhaps you even believe that you'll just wander back into the Leaf Village and because you killed Orochimaru, all will be forgiven. Maybe you'll have a few loudmouthed blonde Uchihas down the road. I really hope for your sake, that isn't what you are planning because it will never happen." Kabuto tells her.

That was it. Suki lunges at Kabuto in a blind rage. How dare he talk to her like that?! Who did he think he is?!

When her sword stabbed him through the heart, he turned back into a log. Suki growls and looks around. How had she fallen for the oldest trick in the book?

"I thought that might be the case for awhile. I just wanted to confirm it. Puppy love is adorable, Suki. Though I doubt Lord Orochimaru would be nearly as amused by it as I am." He taunts her.

"If you are harboring some delusion that I'm in love with Naruto, then you're simply wrong. Go tell your crazy theories to Orochimaru. Do you think he'll care? Do you think he'll believe you over me?!" The raven haired woman demands.

Kabuto's eyes narrow at Suki. Suki just smirks in response. She knew that she hit a nerve there.

The silver haired ninja was upset that he was no longer Orochimaru's favorite. That had to burn him. Part of her was pleased at that knowledge.

"He's blinded by his obsession with you. That's all it is. It doesn't matter though. At the end of the day, you're just going to be another body for him. Remember that. You'll get your revenge and then your life will be forfeit." Kabuto says as he walks off.

The next day, Suki was standing on the edge of a cliff with Kabuto and Orochimaru, when the new Team Seven found them. Her heart felt like it was going to stop when she saw them. Naruto and Sakura were there, but so were two people that she didn't recognize.

There was a man about Kakashi's age. She assumed that something must have happened to Kakashi. Why wasn't Kakashi on this mission to retrieve her? Had her former Sensei completely given up on her?

"Well it looks like they found us." Orochimaru observes.

There was a pale boy about her age as well. Suki immediately discerned that he was her replacement. That made her blood boil with rage, until she saw the look in Naruto's eyes. It was all that she could do not to flinch.

"SUKI!" He calls out.

She notices that Kabuto was watching her every move. If she wanted to save Naruto's life, she was going to have to do something cruel. That's when she flitted down to them and was immediately at Naruto's side.

"It's been a long time." She whispers into Naruto's ears.

Idly, she notes that it really HAD been a long time. Naruto was actually taller than her now. His shoulders were also broader and his fashion choices had improved modestly. Mentally she scolds herself for such observations. She had to stay focused.

"Yeah." He murmurs.

"Come to think of it, didn't you want to be Hokage? All that time that you spent chasing after me, would have been better spent on training. Don't you think, Naruto? Then again, you've never been very good at thinking things through. You always rush in without thinking about the consequences." She asks as she slowly unsheathes her sword.

"I'm not going to let him take your body! What kind of Hokage would I be, if I can't save my friend?" He asks her.

It was such a Naruto response. Brave, honest, and so painfully naïve that it both made her want to smile and roll her eyes. He really just didn't get it.

Suki knew that she had to do it. She had to at least make it look like she was trying to slit his throat or attacking him in some way. It was the best way to make Kabutot believe that he was wrong about her feelings for the blonde. That was why she raises her sword at him, but the hit never landed. It was blocked by her replacement.

Suki couldn't help but feel enraged. This was none of his concern. He had no right to interfere with her and Naruto. That was why she radiated Chidori and dealt with him quickly.

"I'm not coming back. Not until he's dead. Stop following me." She says, before teleporting back up to Orochimaru and Kabuto.

She didn't know if what she had just done would succeed in throwing Kabuto off her trail, but Suki couldn't take it anymore. The last female Uchiha couldn't take looking into those big blue, hurt eyes. She had to get out of there.

"Let's go." She says and they teleport off into a swirl of flames.

"NOT AGAIN!" Naruto growls as he slams his fist into the ground in frustration.

He couldn't believe it! They had almost had her and she just slipped off like it was nothing. He had just froze like an idiot.

Naruto should have knocked her out. He should have strained her. Suki would have hated him when she woke up. She would have kicked, screamed, and maybe even bitten him. That wouldn't matter though. At least she would be SAFE.

"We'll get her back, Naruto." Sakura assures him.

Naruto sighs and nods. He wanted to believe that. He had to believe that. He had made a promise to Sakura and himself. The blonde was going to keep it. One way or another, he was going to keep it.

"Can we track them?" Naruto asks Yamato.

"It'd be difficult with a teleportation like that." His temporary Captain replies and Naruto sighs.

He couldn't believe it. What had gone so wrong that Suki had thought it was necessary to go with Orochimaru of all people. He knew that she wanted to kill Itachi, but she could have gotten stronger in the Leaf Village.

She didn't have to leave them. She didn't have to leave him. He could scarcely reconcile the beautiful woman who had nearly slit his throat with the girl that had broken the rules to feed him when they became Genin.

 _He had broken the rules and that was why he was tied to a stupid post. Naruto was starving. His belly growled like a lion and he knew that his two female teammates heard it._

 _That was just his luck. He was assigned to the only squad with two girls. Neither of them particularly cared for him, either. Sakura was the girl he had a crush on, but all she cared about was being like Suki. Suki seemed to hate him. At least that was what he thought._

 _"Here." She said simply as she thrust her lunchbox by his face._

 _"Wh-at?! Really?!" Naruto asked in disbelief._

 _"Suki! What are you doing?! If you get caught, we'll all get sent back to the Academy! Are you crazy?! You heard what Kakashi Sensei said!" Sakura shrieked at her._

 _The last female Uchiha rolled her eyes in response. It was as though she was disappointed that Sakura would even ask that question. Maybe she was. Naruto could never tell what was going on in that girl's mind._

 _"Kakashi isn't here, right now. Use your head. If he's weak from hunger, we aren't going to get any of those damn bells. We'll be sent back anyway. At least this way, we'll have a better chance of getting those bells." She muttered._

 _"Fine!" Sakura said as she held up her half eaten lunchbox as well._

 _"I can't eat. Remember? No hands. You're going to have to feed me." Naruto said cheekily._

 _Naruto saw Sakura twitch. Clearly, she wasn't too happy about that observation. Suki didn't seem to care though._

 _"Just do it. Do it fast. We don't want to get caught. Come on. Sakura, you're wasting time." She ordered the other girl._

 _While Sakura was in the middle of feeding Naruto, Kakashi showed up. Immediately, Naruto's female teammates got in front of him. He was touched that they were defending him. It was the first time that anyone other than Iruka had gone to bat for him._

 _"I told you not to feed him?! Why did you feed him?! What kind of ninjas can't follow such a simple instruction?!" Kakashi demanded._

 _"Because the three of us are one. That's why you did it. That's why you only had two bells, but three Genin. You were playing us against each other from the start! You wanted us to fight. You wanted to send us back to the Academy. This wasn't a fair test." Suki accused him._

 _"The three of you are one?! That's your excuse?!" The Jonin growled angrily._

 _Naruto felt himself shiver. Damn. Kakashi Sensei sounded really angry. This might not end well._

 _"Yeah!" Sakura agreed and Suki nodded her head in agreement._

 _Naruto couldn't precisely remember what he said or did, but he also confirmed the statement. That's when something strange happened. Kakashi's entire demeanor just suddenly transformed from furious to serene._

 _"You pass. I'm proud of the three of you. It's true that those who break the rules are scum, but those who would leave behind a friend are even worse than scum." He said cheerfully._

That was when he first knew that Suki wasn't just like him because she was lonely like he was. She was also a good person. It was just hidden. Really, really well hidden.

Suki could be the most vicious and sarcastic person that he had ever met. Now at sixteen, he saw that for what it was. A defense mechanism. She didn't want to get close to people because she was afraid of losing them.

"Well she's not going to lose me and I'm not going to let her die." He mutters to himself.

He was going to find a way to save her. Naruto just wasn't sure how yet. He wasn't going to let Orochimaru kill her though. Naruto was going to keep his promise to Sakura to bring Suki back and then Team Seven would officially be whole again.


	2. Chapter 2

Primal

 **Author's Note:** Thanks for the reviews. I hope you all enjoy this chapter.

 **Chapter Notation:** As the name of the story indicates, we are going to be dealing with some rather primitive emotions in this one. That may or may not be everyone's thing. There will be some fluff, but there will also be other kinds of love here. Ninjas and demons play rough.

Chapter 2

As the days turned into weeks, Naruto was growing more and more frustrated. They had to find Suki and quickly. That freak was going to take over her body soon. It was driving him crazy.

His dreams were becoming more and more disturbing. The blonde wanted so badly to pin the blame squarely on Kurama, but he knew better. Kurama might have been sculpting the scenarios, but he was providing the clay. The Nine Tails wouldn't be able to torment him like this, if he wasn't giving the fox something to work with.

"This can't be normal. Maybe I should talk to Granny Tsunade about this, but she would freak." Naruto says with a sigh as he remembers his latest dream.

 _He was running in a forest. Naruto knew that someone was nearby, but not who. Whoever it was, they were fast and they were doing a damn good job covering their tracks._

 _"Too bad for them, they can't outrun Kurama's nose." He muttered to himself._

 _He found a trail. It wasn't a large footprint and it wasn't tiny. It was indented harshly into the soil, but lopsided. This person was petite in weight, but running fast. He guessed they were a woman._

 _Kakashi and Kiba had taught him a little bit about tracking. Now, he could read footprints with a fair amount of accuracy. That and he finally caught the person's scent._

 _"Damn it." He heard a feminine voice mutter in annoyance._

 _Naruto had never given much thought to scents before, but he knew this one. It was hard to explain. This person smelled like an oddly alluring combination of pine trees, roses, and lightning._

 _Idly, he knew that last one didn't make any sense. People couldn't smell like lightning. Did lightning even have a scent? Naruto shook his head and decided it didn't matter. What mattered is that he had to get to Suki!_

 _"Suki!" He called out desperately._

 _Maybe this time, she'd actually listen. Maybe this time, he could convince her to stay. That's all he really wanted. Naruto just wanted her back in the Leaf where she was safe and hopefully, where Suki could be happy._

 _Somewhere along the line, this desire had eclipsed everything else. The blonde still wanted to become Hokage, but that was a secondary concern. What mattered most was saving Suki._

 _"Naruto, just go!" She growled at him, once he finally caught up with her._

 _The fact that she didn't think she needed saving was irrelevant in his mind. There was no way he was letting Orochimaru touch her! He wasn't going let his best friend die to save that creepy snake!_

 _"Suki, come on. You don't have to do this. You don't have to stay with him. You can come back to the Leaf. We'll find a way to deal with Itachi. I can help you." Naruto said he as he reached out for her._

 _Her back was towards him. Suki's hair had grown longer. When she left the Leaf, it spilled a few inches below her shoulders. Now, it came to the middle of her back._

 _Suki's hair had always fascinated Naruto. Well actually, everything about her fascinated him and pissed him off in equal measure. She had lost the midnight blue tint that her hair had when she was a Genin. Now it was as black as a raven's feathers._

 _"I don't have time for your childish games. I'm going to kill him. Just go back home. You don't belong here. After Itachi is dead, maybe I'll come back to the Leaf. My Clan is buried there." She muttered._

 _The spiky texture was still the same though. Somehow, it looked spiky and silky at the same time. He had always been curious about what her hair actually felt like. Naruto knew better than to actually try to touch her hair though. That was the fastest way to a Chidori, that he knew of._

 _Naruto felt himself growl. He knew that his friend missed her family deeply but that couldn't be it. That couldn't be the only reason that she would come back to the Leaf. Did Team Seven mean NOTHING to her? Did HE mean nothing to at?! Nothing at all?!_

 _"Is that really the ONLY reason that you'd come back?!" Naruto practically snarled at her._

 _He could feel the now familiar sensation of Kurama's chakra lashing around him. His teeth were sharpening and instinctively knew that his eyes were turning crimson red. Damn it! Not now!_

 _"Is there another reason that I should have?" Suki mocked him as she continued walking off._

 _Damn her! Why did she always do this?! She always tried to leave him behind and ignored him, unless they were fighting! It pissed him off. He wanted to make her acknowledge him for once!_

 _Without thinking about it, he slams the young woman into the ground. Naruto knew that attacking someone while their back was turned was a low blow, but he just didn't care at the moment. He was going to get her to come back! If Naruto had to drag her back, he would!_

 _"Yes! You should want to come back to your friends! For Team Seven! Something! Suki, the Leaf is your home!" He screamed at her as he grabbed her by her pretty throat and shook her._

 _"Naruto, get off me." She growled at him as she tried to free herself from his grasp._

 _"No! Not until you listen to what I have to say! You want to kill Itachi, right?! I can help you with that! The Akatsuki want the Tailed Beasts. I have one. They'll come looking for me sooner or later!" He yelled at her._

 _It was infuriating. Naruto had her pinned by the throat and Suki didn't look like she cared at all. She looked annoyed, but that was about it. He just wanted to get a reaction out of her. He wanted some small sign that she still cared about the Leaf. That she cared about him, even if it was just a little one!_

 _"That's true. Sooner or later, the Akatsuki will come for you. I have no way of knowing if they'll send Itachi or someone else after you though. Oh and Naruto, stop the act. We're adults now. You don't have to Play Pretend anymore." She told him as she radiated Chidori along her body and shocked him off of her._

 _Suki then slammed him against a tree and kept him pinned with one hand. With her other, she draws her sword. Instead of attacking him, she presses it against his throat and leaned in to whisper something in his ear._

 _"You don't have to pretend that this is about Team Seven. I'm sure that you are upset that Kakashi and Sakura are upset that I'm gone, but we both know that isn't the real reason why you chase me. You're jealous." She told him with a smirk._

 _"Jealous?! Jealous of what?! That snake freak?! You've got to be kidding me! Why would I be jealous of him?!" Naruto snapped at her._

 _"That I went with him. That he can get me the power I need to kill Itachi and you can't. Like I said, I might come back to the Leaf later. Not until he's dead though." She began to say._

 _Naruto was about to cut her off, but she kept talking. The more that the Uchiha spoke, the more angry he got. Somehow, he had to talk some sense into her! This was crazy!_

 _"I'll do whatever it takes to punish him. If that means giving my body to Orochimaru, then I just don't care. This is MY decision, not yours. If you can't accept that, you should just tell me so. I'll slit your throat and make this easier on both of us." She told him._

 _That was when something inside Naruto snapped. In the blink of an eye, he freed himself from Suki's pin and got her on her back. There was something very satisfying about seeing the look of surprise on her face._

 _"I'll help you kill him. You don't need Orochimaru." He growled at her and gave into the impulse to bite her neck._

 _He bite her hard. Naruto didn't really know why, it just felt right. There was something exciting about feeling her underneath him and hearing her gasp like that. His bite somehow transferred chakra into her. A Mark formed on her neck, overwhelming what Orochimaru had given her._

 _"Naruto, what did you just do?" She whispered._

 _"I don't know." He answered as the chakra, fangs, and red eyes receded._

That had been the entire dream. He didn't know why, but now he dreamt about Suki a lot. More often than not, he ended up biting her or pinning her. Fighting her was nothing new, but the desire to bite her was. That wasn't normal.

"Naruto, are you okay?" Sakura asks her friend.

"Yeah. I'm fine. I guess I just spaced out there for a minute. Granny Tsunade is putting together a bigger retrieval team, right?" Naruto replies and Sakura nods in confirmation.

"Pretty much all of the Rookies are going. We have to move quickly. We're running out of time." Sakura says.

Naruto could see it in Sakura's eyes. She was losing hope. The pink haired woman didn't actually think that they were going to save Suki. He was determined to prove her wrong though.

"I know. We'll find a way though. There has to be a way." He whispers to himself.

Meanwhile Suki was still in the Sound Village. She was training and being pushed to her breaking point. Orochimaru had decided that he wanted to see how she would do against a thousand opponents.

She knew that she could have easily won this, if she wanted to use lethal force. Suki didn't though. These people hadn't done anything to her. They weren't Itachi. They didn't deserve her rage. Not really.

"CHIDORI!" She screams out as she sends another lightning attack flying at a group of them.

She wasn't aiming for vital spots, but it would knock him out. It would knock him out cold. Unfortunately, she didn't have Naruto's chakra reserves and she hadn't forgotten Kakashi's warning. There was a limit to how much she could throw around her trademark attack.

That limit was increasing almost daily, but not fast enough to handle this many opponents. She was probably going to have to resort to Taijutsu at some point. That was fine though. She wasn't a cold-blooded murderer.

"How disappointing." Orochimaru murmurs as he watches her fight next to Kabuto.

Suki was clearly making great strides. Sadly, she still held onto some childhood notion of mercy. Oh it wasn't as deeply ingrained in her as it was in her former teammates, but it was still there. It was still there enough to hold her back.

"We're going to have to press her harder. A deal is a deal. When she kills Itachi, we can preserve his body. He can be your vessel after her." Kabuto says.

Orochimaru nods in agreement. Yes, a deal was a deal. Besides, the Sannin couldn't deny that he would enjoy seeing the life leave Itachi's eyes. They had been in the Akatsuki together. This was personal.

"We're going to have to amp up her training. Physical and emotional. Physical she's almost there. She's still too softhearted though. We'll fix that. We just have to figure out what her trigger is." Orochimaru murmurs.

"Her trigger is obvious. It's Naruto. I haven't mentioned this to you before because it was irrelevant. I believe she has feelings for him. Strong ones. That's why he's still alive. If you want to upset her to make her stronger, threaten him somehow." The silver haired medic says.

Orochimaru tries to suppress his irritation at that news. Suki carried a torch for the loudmouthed blonde. It was only natural that she'd be attracted to someone her own age, but he was disappointed. He would have thought that she had better taste.

"You said that these feelings were strong?" He asks.

"It would seem so. What are you thinking, Lord Orochimaru?" He asks as Suki slams her fist into the face of some poor son of a bitch that they had recruited to be fodder.

"Well it seems such a waste to let her die before she restores her Clan and the child would grow up to be a good vessel. That and Naruto Uzumaki is a Jinchuuriki. If we can harness the chakra of the Nine Tails, we would be unstoppable." Orochimaru says with a smirk.

Kabuto raises an eyebrow. He had a pretty good idea where this was going and he certainly didn't like it. Orochimaru was out of his mind.

"My Lord, are you suggesting that we should bring the boy here?" Kabuto inquires.

"Perhaps. The power of the Nine Tails is certainly tempting. He would likely do whatever we wanted, as long as he was assured of Suki's safety." Orochimaru says with a smirk.

"I don't think this is wise. Naruto doesn't think logically. If you offered him the deal, he wouldn't take it. He would just storm into our village and try to take her back to the Leaf Village. You can't reason with a child like him, especially one with his power. He has gotten better at wielding the beast's chakra." Kabuto warns him.

Orochimaru holds up his hand, waving off Kabuto's concerns. The idea did have merit. The Nine Tail's power was almost limitless. Perhaps it was the key to unlocking true immortality. That and he could take Itachi's body. Suki could restore her Clan with the blonde. Thus Naruto would be loyal to him because Suki was. Eventually, their child or children would become his future vessels. It all fit together rather nicely.

"Silence, Kabuto. It looks as though she's done." Orochimaru says as he walks over to a panting Suki.

Her every muscle in her body was screaming at her in protest. Suki's vision was blurred and she was struggling to breath. Surely, this type of training would make her strong enough to kill Itachi. She was pushing herself to her limits.

"Why didn't you kill them?" He demands.

"I didn't have to kill them to beat them and they hadn't done anything to me." She says simply.

"One day, that childish notion of mercy is going to get you killed. I keep telling you that because it's true. Still I can't deny that you have grown much stronger. Itachi's end is certainly within sight. You should rest for the rest of the night. All the strength in the world will do you no good, if you kill yourself of chakra exhaustion." He informs her.

Suki simply shrugs. She didn't have to justify her actions to him. He was a means to an end. While Orochimaru might care for her in his own sick way, the feeling was far from mutual.

"As long as my body lasts long enough for the transfer, I don't see what you are complaining about." Suki mutters as she heads off.

Soon enough she finds the hot spring in the village. After making sure that no one else was around and forming a few shadow clones as lookouts, she quickly strips and gets in.

"Ahhh." Suki sighs in contentment.

The hot water felt so good against her sore muscles. She sighs as she realizes they wouldn't be sore, if the Massacre never happened. She'd likely still be in the Leaf Village right now or on a mission with Team Seven.

Naruto would likely be oblivious, but if things were different she would have confessed her feelings towards her. Maybe he would have returned them. In that case, they would have been a normal couple.

"Walking around the village together, training, kissing, and likely going to the Ramen Shop." She muses.

That was assuming that he saw her as more than just a friend in the first place. Naruto was different than most people. It was entirely possible that he really was putting himself through all of this just because of friendship. No one else would have done that, but this was Naruto.

"It doesn't matter though. Kabuto was right about one thing. It's never going to happen." She says with a sigh.

Unbeknownst to Suki, she wasn't the only Uchiha at the moment pondering what could have been. Itachi was as well. Well he was pondering the matter between bloody coughs.

"Itachi, are you sure you are up to this mission?" Kisame asks.

The blue skinned man had actually grown fond of his partner in a way. Sure, Itachi wasn't much of a talker. He was still sane though and that was a pretty rare trait in the Akatsuki.

"I'll be fine." Itachi mutters as he takes another pill.

The pills were buying him time, but he was running out of it. Itachi was living on borrowed time for several reasons. His illness was running its course. Without proper treatment, he likely had a couple months. It wouldn't be exaggerating to say he might have a month left to live though.

He needed to find Suki. His sister could kill him. Then she would be the hero. The Leaf would accept her back with open arms and his suffering could finally end.

"You know for a ninja, you're a surprisingly bad liar. You don't look fine to me." Kisame says.

How he wished that things had turned out differently. Surely, something could have done. Something could have prevented the Massacre. By the time he came of age though, it was too late.

He had to choose between his Clan and the Leaf as a whole. In the end, he had decided that potentially adverted another Great Ninja War was more important than the love he had for his family.

"I'll manage. I always do. Since when did you start pretending to care?" Itachi asks in amusement.

Peace was more important than his love for his family. It had even been more important than his feelings for Izumi. There was just one thing that it hadn't been more important than.

Suki. He couldn't kill her. She was too young. The seven year old had no idea what her Clan was plotting. Suki had been completely innocent at the time of the Coup and Massacre. So he had pleaded and managed to spare her life and for that, she wanted to kill him.

"Good point. Well let's get going then." Kisame says as the two of them head off.

That was fine with Itachi though. He wanted to die. He would welcome death. Death by suicide was dishonorable though. Death by Suki's hand would be fine by him. Revenge was the only thing that he could really offer her at this point.

He couldn't tell her the truth. The most important thing in his mind was that she would never know the truth. That would be his dying wish.

Meanwhile back in the Leaf, the Suki Retrieval Team was ready. Naruto was excited. For the first time in a long time, he felt really hopeful. Maybe they would get her back.

"Alright! Let's do this!" Kiba says excitedly.

Hinata nods her head in agreement. The Hyuga Heiress was shy, but Naruto knew that she was a good friend. She had volunteered for the mission. He just didn't know why.

"The power of youth is on our side!" Lee chimes in and Naruto rubs the back of his head sheepishly.

He really didn't understand the whole power of youth thing. Bushy Brows and Bushy Brows Sensei were cool. Sometimes, they were just a little too eccentric for most people to understand though.

"Right. Exactly. Shikamaru?" He asks.

Shikamaru wasn't on the team by choice. Well at least Naruto didn't think he was. Apparently, the lazy ninja didn't really care for Suki all that much. He had just decided that she was a Leaf Ninja and thus that garnered some degree of automatic loyalty. He wasn't going to let her die just because she was a prissy princess.

Seriously, that's what the cloud watcher called her. Naruto couldn't exactly disagree with the princess label. She was hardly prissy though. He clearly never seen her train. She was vicious.

"The Sound Village is based in the Rice Nation. We should start there. Though it's possible that they might not be there. Orochimaru obviously has many hideouts scattered all over. If that snake stayed in one place all the time, the Leaf would have captured him years ago." He reasons.

Naruto nods. That was a good point. Well they'd start in the Rice Nation then. It was better than nothing and right now, that is basically what he had.

"Got it. Anything else, guys? Are we good on supplies? Food, water, medical supplies, clothes, weapons, and so forth?" Naruto asks.

"We're definitely good on food. I made sure of that." Choji informs him.

"We've got enough weapons for an actual war. You don't have to worry about that much." Tenten says with a wink

Neji nods in confirmation. Well if Neji thought they were all set. They probably were. He was a genius like Shikamaru, but he wasn't anywhere near as lazy. Really, his biggest problem was that he had allowed that Destiny Crap to run his life. Naruto was pleased to report that that was gradually changing though.

"We should get moving." Shino suggests and the others nod in agreement.

With that, the remaining members of the Rookie Nine and Gai's team took off.

It was a long journey to the Sound Village, but Naruto knew they would get there. He just hoped that they wouldn't be too late. He knew that they were racing towards the end of the three month timeline.

Maybe Jirayia's second guess would be more accurate. If they had six months originally, that would be better. Not great, but better. Either way, they were rapidly running out of time and had to hurry.

"What are we going to do, if they are at the Sound Village?" Sakura asks.

"What do you mean? We grab Suki and go." Naruto replies as if that was obvious.

"It's not going to be that simple. They won't just let us waltz in and out of there. We would have to sneak by them or incapacitate them somehow. That's also assuming that Suki is going to come willingly with us. That's far from a safe bet." Neji points out.

Ino sighs and nods. That was what she was afraid of. Suki was strong and she was stubborn. The only person who might be more stubborn than her was Naruto and even that was a bit dicey.

"What are you suggesting?" She asks Neji.

"If we end up in the Sound Village, Ino should take over one of the Sound Villager's body. Lure Suki away. Then we can grab her and go." The lavender eyed man says.

"That's brilliant! That might actually work!" Naruto says brightly, ignoring Neji's twitches.

The Hyuga man didn't know why Naruto had to sound so surprised that his plan might work. He was a Jonin, after all. Neji Hyuga had lots of good plans! Hmpf!


	3. Chapter 3

Primal

 **Author's Note:** Thanks for the reviews. I decided to update this one earlier than I originally expected because of all the kind responses. Oh and I do try to incorporate reader requests into my story when possible. So Hiraishin Request has been granted. Anyway, I hope you all enjoy this chapter.

 **Chapter Notation:** As far as character abilities go, some will be cannon and some won't. I do believe that AUs provide a degree of flexibility for character abilities, but I will strive to make the various power levels believable. The timeline on Naruto's relationship with Kurama has also been moved up.

Chapter 3

A few days later, Suki tenses. She could feel it. Naruto's chakra. She wasn't naturally a Sensor, but he was close enough that she could sense him. Suki could sense him and his friends. Damn it.

"Can Orochimaru be moved?" Suki asks Kabuto.

"It'd be risky. His physical condition is deteriorating rapidly. Even walking is becoming quite the struggle. Why do you ask?" Kabuto replies.

Damn it. As much as she would love to see Orochimaru's death, she still had a lot that she could learn from him. She needed to know everything he did and more, if she was going to defeat Itachi. That meant that he had to be kept alive.

"We've been staying here for awhile. Normally, we change location more often to prevent detection. That's why I asked. I want to know that we can evacuate quickly in the worst case scenario." She replies.

"Very well. In that event, I would hide him or use Body Flicker Technique to transport him. You don't have to worry about that much. Though I'm certain Lord Orochimaru will be touched by your concern." Kabuto informs her and Suki nods as she heads off.

Damn it. Naruto was coming and he had brought a team. She wasn't entirely certain how many he had brought with him, but it was bigger than the usual squad. It wouldn't be enough though.

"There is no way that this will be anything other than a suicide mission, if I don't try to knock some sense into him." She mutters as she cautiously begins making her way towards where the chakra signatures were the strongest.

Meanwhile with the Retrieval Team, Shikamaru groans. He could only hope that somehow Neji's plan would work. It was a good plan in theory, but they were still "attacking" a village filled with criminals. That was never a smart move.

"Everyone, lower your chakra as much as you can. We don't want them to know that we are coming. Ino find your Sound Villager. We'll watch your body while you lure away Suki." He says.

There were murmurs of agreement and confirmation. The cloud lover was relieved when he felt them lower their chakra levels drastically. Now, he was confident no one would sense them unless they were really trying. It would take a skilled Sensor to notice them and find their location.

That's when Ino made her move. She cautiously enters the Sound Village. The blonde felt like she was entering the lion's den. Well more specifically, she was entering a den of vipers. Her heart was pounding with every step.

"You there! Who are you?!" A Sound Villager demands.

"Sorry about this." The Leaf woman says as she performs the technique that would allow her to take over their body.

The blonde's body slumps and Kiba immediately rushes over to catch her. Damn. It was a powerful and useful technique, but it came at a cost. Her body was defenseless while mind jumped or whatever Ino called it.

She quickly sets about locating Suki. She knew that she didn't have much time. Ino had to get the other woman back to her friends before she couldn't hold the Jutsu anymore.

"Quick! Lord Orochimaru wants to see you now!" She tells Suki.

The blonde couldn't help but notice the wariness and skepticism in the other woman's eyes. Good. That was a good sign. Suki didn't really want to be here.

"Alright." She says simply as she walks with Ino.

When Suki saw that she was being lead outside the gates of the village, her eyes narrow. Orochimaru was practically bedridden. He wouldn't be outside the village.

Trap. This was a trap. She bites her lower lip, but Suki decides to go with it. For the moment, she had no other choice. If she resisted, the other Sound Villagers would notice if a battle broke out. That would spell the end for the Retrieval Squad.

"That was surprisingly clever and subtle. Taking over a Sound Villager's body to get me to come with you was a smart move. Whose idea was it? I know it wasn't Naruto's. That's far too subtle." She says as her eyes narrow accusingly and her Sharingan activates.

"It was mine, though that is besides the point." Neji says.

"Shadow Clone Jutsu!" Shikamaru says as he attacks Suki with shadows.

Suki barely manages to dodge and glares at him. Damn it. Naruto by himself would have been a challenge. These weren't grunts that Orochimaru had hired for her training purposes. Every one of the Rookies had at least one useful ability. If they didn't, they wouldn't have been assigned to this mission.

She was outnumbered. There was still a chance that she could win, but not without using enough chakra to alert the other Sound Villagers that something was going on. If that happened, they were all done for.

"Shikamaru, I suggest that you don't try that again. Right now, you're all just annoying, but I don't want to kill you. If you leave now, that will be the end of that." She says.

While Shikamaru was "attacking" Suki, Naruto places a seal by the entrance of the Sound Village. It was part of the Flying Thunder God Technique. Thankfully, Pervy Sage had taught him how to do it.

 _"I need something else! The Sound Villagers are constantly on the move. If we can figure out where all their hideouts are and get to them quickly, maybe then we can save her." Naruto recalled saying desperately to Jirayia._

 _"Well this isn't something that I would teach anyone. It can require a massive amount of chakra, depending on how far away you are going. There is the Flying Thunder God Technique. I assume that you are familiar with the Body Flicker Technique?" The white haired ninja began._

 _Naruto nodded. Yeah. He knew about that one. He'd seen Kakashi and Suki do it before. He hadn't really tried it much himself, but it looked easy enough to do._

 _"Yeah. I know about the Body Flicker Technique. What's that got to do with anything though? You can only go so far with it." He asked._

 _"The Flying Thunder God Technique is essentially the Body Flicker Technique with more power behind it. You make a Seal and can transport yourself to that location, any time you want. The Seal never goes away. There is a catch though. The further away your target is, the more chakra you need. For someone with your chakra reserves, that shouldn't be an issue though." He explained simply._

 _"That sounds awesome!" Naruto exclaimed and Jirayia nodded._

 _It took awhile to properly teach Naruto to perform the technique. He had the chakra. He had that in spades. It was getting him to focus long enough to learn how to make the Seal properly that was the issue._

 _After many attempts, the blonde finally managed it. He grinned to himself. This was going to be a useful new trick! The Pervy Sage was good for something other than spying on women's bathhouses after all!_

"Suki, come with us. Th-is way no one has to get hurt! Do you really think that you can beat all of us? The other Sound Villagers will hear a fight. It'll be a war." Hinata manages to ask.

Suki tilts her head to the side. She was actually rather impressed with Hinata. That was the least she had heard the other woman stutter since well ever. Maybe the Hyuga Princess was finally gaining some confidence. Unfortunately for her, things weren't that simple.

"All of you should just leave now." Suki says.

"You can't expect me to just let you stay with that creep! He's going to kill you, Suki!" Naruto growls at her.

"I'm not asking for your permission, but I guess this is between you and me!" Suki says as she rushes at the blonde and grabs onto him, performing the Body Flicker technique and teleporting them a short distance away from the Sound Village.

It wasn't too far, but it was far enough. Suki was certain that no one inside Orochimaru's village would be able to sense them from here. Naruto was apparently going to be stupid. She didn't have any choice, but to get him out of there.

"I don't know why you have to be so stubborn! Do you seriously want to die?!" He snarls at her.

Suki felt herself shiver. She had never actually been afraid of Naruto before. That sound was a different matter though. That sounded far more animal than man.

"I don't want to die. I'm just using Orochimaru." She tells him as she unsheathes her sword.

She was going to have to hurt him. Suki would have to hurt him enough that he wouldn't be able to follow her right away. One of his teammates would surely find him.

The trick was finding a way to hurt him badly enough that the blonde wouldn't be able to find her, but not fatally. She had to strike the right balance.

"That's funny. It looks to me like it's the other way around!" Naruto snaps at her.

Sakura was a medic now. She had read about that in the Bingo Book. Her former teammate could patch Naruto up. Suki knew that she could.

"Well maybe you need your eyes checked. Naruto, I don't have time to play with you. Go home!" She thunders at him.

That was the wrong thing to say. That was almost exactly what she had said to him in Naruto's dream. Of course, Suki didn't know that. That was why she was completely unprepared for Naruto's fury.

"Too bad! You're coming home! I don't care if I have to bring you back limping. I'm not going to let that freak touch you!" The Jinchuuriki screams at her as he lunges at Suki so quickly that he became almost a blur.

He was now surrounded by a malicious chakra. The Nine Tail's Chakra. Suki recognized it instantly. That kind of chakra definitely wasn't Naruto's and she had felt it in the past.

"Why are you so obsessed with me?!" She demands once her former teammate pins her to the ground.

He was like a mountain. No matter how hard she kicked or punched, Naruto wouldn't get off her. When did he become this strong?!

Suki knew that Naruto was now bigger than her. In reality, he had probably always had a slight edge in physical strength. She had more than compensated for that with her speed though and her better chakra control. Now, she wasn't so sure that was the case.

"Because you're my friend and I'm not going to stay in the Leaf and wait for you to return in a casket!" He tells her.

His eyes were inhuman. Gone were the beautiful blue, kind eyes that she associated with him. The adorable whisker like markings on his cheeks were now more jagged and almost feral in nature. His teeth were now more like fangs. Clearly, something was going on with the Nine Tails. Suki just didn't know what.

"Naruto, get the fuck off me." She hisses at him.

"No! I'm taking you back. We can find a way to deal with Itachi together. You don't need to be here!" The other ninja seethes at her.

Suki knew that she couldn't get Naruto off of her through the usual methods. She was going to have to fight dirty. With that in mind, the last Uchiha radiates Chidori all along her body at a high voltage. She turned it up to the max.

Her theory was that Nine Tail's chakra would likely provide him some protection, but hopefully he'd be shocked enough to let her go. It was the best chance that she had at the moment.

"AHHH!" Naruto howls in pain as he jumps off her.

Had she actually attacked him at full capacity? Naruto wasn't really sure how high of a voltage she could produce with the Chidori. He knew one thing though. Without Kurama, he probably would have knocked unconscious or possibly even killed by that move.

"I told you to get off of me. You should have listened." Suki warns him as she eyes him warily.

She hated that it had come to this. Why couldn't he just listen? Why was it so hard for Naruto to understand that she needed to kill Itachi and that this was the best way to do that?

"And you should've listened to me!" He says as he slams her to the ground once more.

The two of them were so furious with each other, that neither of them thought to use actual chakra attacks. This was far more primal than that. A flurry of punches, kicks, and even bites.

They rolled around and around on the ground. Suki could feel dirt and stones cover her clothes and skin. Sometimes the stones even cut. She didn't care though. One way or another, she was going to make Naruto understand. Suki was going to save his life.

"Take your friends and go! I'm not going back until Itachi's buried!" She snarls at him.

That did it. Naruto wasn't really sure why, but that snarl really infuriated him on some level. He goes to bite her neck, just like in the dream.

His teeth bite down and Suki tries to pull away from him. That's when the other members of the Retrieval Team showed up. Suki Flickers off. Naruto could taste some of her blood in his mouth.

"Naruto!" Lee calls out as he rushes over to help his friend.

"Are you alright?!" Sakura asks desperately as she runs over to her friend.

"Yeah. I think so. We tore into each other pretty good, but I don't think anything's actually broken." Naruto says as the reddish orange chakra around him begins to recede and his facial features return to normal.

"We have to get out of here. Suki likely went to warn the other villagers about our presence." Shino says.

Naruto slams his fist into a tree, shattering it. He couldn't believe it. She had gotten away again! The others weren't going to want to fight an entire village. He wasn't going to let Orochimaru keep her, but they likely didn't want to go on a suicide mission. That's what they would think attacking the Sound was. A suicide mission.

"Fine. Let's go. At least now, we know that she's still alive. We can come back later." He says.

"I'm sorry, Naruto." Sakura whispers as she places her hand on his shoulder.

"I know. We'll find a way to get her back though! I know we will!" He says brightly.

It was a forced cheerfulness. Naruto just hoped that the others wouldn't notice that. Thankfully, they seemed more concerned about getting out of there before Suki could alert the other Sound Villagers than his faked grin.

"The power of youth will never be defeated! This is only temporary!" Lee assures him as they all race off.

A short while later, Suki sighs in the Sound as she heads back into her room. She knew that Naruto had bitten her and that he had drawn blood. The raven haired woman just had to know the extent of the injury and thus she was looking in a mirror when Kabuto came in.

"I suppose now I know why you wanted to know about the evacuation plans so badly. Why didn't you tell us that the Leaf had sent a team? I can see their tracks. You must have fought them off somehow. Is that why you are bleeding?" He demands.

"It's just a scratch. I fought them off. They aren't going to be coming back." Suki tells him.

Kabuto sighs. Honestly, he could understand why Orochimaru wanted her to be his vessel. The Sharingan was certainly an attractive bloodline, but this woman was impossible. She was ridiculously talented as a ninja, but she was also stubborn and completely untrustworthy.

"Let me see that scratch. An infection can turn even a minor injury into a life threatening one." The silver haired medic reminds her and Suki nods in agreement.

She hesitates for a moment, but walks over to Kabuto. She didn't trust him, but the Uchiha knew that he would never knowingly attack her. Orochimaru wanted her body too much for that to a possibility.

"He bit you?!" Kabuto asks in disbelief as he examines her neck.

"I don't know why you sound so surprised. Orochimaru bit me." She says with a shrug.

"That was different. He was placing a curse mark on you. This is something else entirely. You're fortunate that it wasn't a successful Marking." He informs her.

Suki raises an eyebrow. It wasn't a successful Marking? What did Kabuto mean by that? What was a Marking?

"Stop beating around the bush. It's annoying. What's a Marking and how do you know that it wasn't successful?" She demands.

"Jinchuuriki are different than most people when it comes to intimacy. Sometimes, the demon's animalistic instincts can takeover. If the host has feelings for someone, they might Mark them. A Mark is a bite they place on their intended's neck and infuse with chakra. It becomes a permanent mark. A symbol of their "love." Along with the Mark comes some advantages and disadvantages." He begins warily.

Suki blinks. If she understood Kabuto correctly, Naruto had almost given her the demonic version of a wedding ring. He might have done so unconsciously to boot.

"So you're saying that it's like a wedding ring, demon style?" She whispers.

"Essentially. It's far more than that though. It creates a mental link between the "Mates." The Mates will be able to sense each other, regardless of distance and if they concentrate, feel what the other feels. It also grants them the ability to share chakra. Unfortunately, it also links their life force. If one dies, it's likely the other will. If the second Mate somehow survives, they tend to go insane." Kabuto warns her.

Suki blinks. Most of that sounded good. She could certainly live without the insanity or I love you to death part though.

"Is he aware of what he tried to do to me?" Suki asks.

"That's less certain. Sometimes, it happens instinctively. Other times, it's a conscious decision." The silver haired medic explains.

The last Uchiha smiles. Whether it was consciously or unconsciously, Naruto returned her feelings. Well on some level he did, anyway.

That's when she frowns. She couldn't let him Mark her though. At least not until she knew that he knew why he wanted to do it AND she killed Itachi. If something went wrong during her battle with Itachi, she wasn't going to let Naruto go down with her or lead him down the path of madness.

"You're right. I got off rather lucky." She says.

"I would avoid Naruto to the best of your abilities. As much as I am loathed to move Orochimaru in his condition, I'm afraid that we have no choice. The Leaf is going to strike again and this time, they will send out a bigger force." He says with a heavy sigh.

"Alright. I'll start packing." She says and Kabuto nods his head in agreement as he heads off.

Presumably, he was going to warn Orochimaru. Suki didn't want the snake to know about the Marking thing, but she knew that his faithful lapdog was going to tell him one way or another.

Sadly, she needed Kabuto's vast medical knowledge to take down Itachi. She couldn't just kill him. It was annoying really.

Meanwhile Kabuto arrives in Orochimaru's room. He had to inform the Sannin about everything. He was loathed to move his Lord when he was in such a weakened state, but there was no other choice.

"Lord Orochimaru, we must go. The Leaf sent a team to retrieve Suki. They know that we are here. Suki managed to change them off. I also have rather interesting news in regards to the Nine Tails." Kabuto says.

Orochimaru glances at Kabuto. Damn it. He certainly didn't want to be moved. There wasn't much time before he would have to perform the transfer. He was already so weak.

"What did you find out about the Nine Tails?" He asks.

"He tried to Mark Suki. It's unclear if that was a conscious or unconscious choice though." Kabuto replies.

Orochimaru raises an eyebrow. Hmm. Now that was an unexpected development. It was just all the more reason to capture Naruto and bring him here though.

"Excellent. Not only will we be able to study a Tailed Beast, but we'll be able to study a full Mating." He observes with a smirk.

"My thoughts, exactly." The silver haired medic agrees.

Elsewhere the Retrieval Team had made camp for the night. Naruto volunteered to take the first watch and waits for everyone to fall asleep. He quickly makes a clone and uses the Flying Thunder God Technique.

He grins when he arrived back just outside the entrance of the Sound Village. He knew that this technique would come in handy one day. Now, he just had to find Suki.

If he could grab her, he could teleport them back to the Leaf. He had a Seal there that would take them to his apartment. It would take a lot of chakra to pull off, but he knew that he could manage.

"This place is way creepy." He mutters under his breath as he tries to sense Suki's chakra signature.

Fortunately, it was hard to figure out which building was the main one. Orochimaru was too much of an egomanic not to make his power known. Naruto heads inside.

"She has to be inside somewhere. I know it." The blonde says as he warily enters the building.

He felt like he was in the middle of some horror movie. Naruto expected a monster to jump out at him any time. That didn't matter though. The only thing that really mattered was getting his friend out of here as fast as possible.

That's when Suki stiffens. She felt Naruto's chakra nearby. She immediately heads towards it.

"Naruto, do you have a death wish?!" She demands as she pushes him against the wall.

"Not really, but apparently you do. Let's get you out of here." He says.

"Oh I don't think any of that will be necessary. Naruto, Orochimaru has an offer that he would like to make you. I think that you'll both find this compromise agreeable." Kabuto says as he walks over to them.

He heard the sounds of a fight in the hallway. Naturally, he left to see what was going on. Imagine his surprise, when he discovered Naruto had just willingly right into their hands.

"A compromise?!" Naruto asks in disbelief.

"Naruto, get out of here now. Don't listen to him!" Suki tells him.

She felt her blood run cold in terror. Suki had no idea if Naruto really knew about Marking, but she knew what Kabuto did. She knew exactly what he was up to and she wasn't going to let it happen. One way or another, she had to get Naruto out of the Sound. She just wasn't exactly sure how she was going to do that yet.


	4. Chapter 4

Primal

 **Author's Note:** Thanks for the reviews. I hope you all enjoy this chapter.

Naruto talking to Kyuubi in **bold**.

Kyuubi talking to Naruto in _**bold italics**_.

Chapter 4

A few minutes later, Orochimaru smirks. This was a most wondrous opportunity. Not only would he have an Uchiha as his next vessel, he might very well soon possess the power of a Jinchuuriki.

"Naruto, this doesn't need to end in tragedy. You want to ensure that Suki safe and so do I. She's far too valuable to me to allow anything to happen to her. What I propose is very simple. You would stay in the Sound. We find Itachi. He can become my next vessel and then Suki can return to the Leaf with you." He says.

Naruto's eyes narrow. That sounded a little too perfect. Sure, Orochimaru would probably take Itachi's body as fast as he would Suki's. Why would he just give her up though? That didn't make any sense.

"Leave him out of this!" Suki snarls at Orochimaru.

"Now, now, Suki. This is Naruto's decision. Just as you decided to come to me willingly, he should also be extended the same courtesy." The Sannin coos at her.

Suki felt white hot rage rushing through her veins. Naruto didn't belong in the Sound. She had to kill Itachi and she would pay whatever price was necessary to do that, but Naruto didn't have to.

"Just go back home. You don't belong here." Suki tells Naruto.

 _ **"You did manage to draw blood, but the Mark didn't take. If you want her as your Mate, you'll have to bite harder next time. The chakra exchange has to take place, for it to be a true Mating."**_ Kurama says.

Naruto blinks in confusion. He didn't know what Kurama was talking about, but it sounded important. Was that why he wanted to bite Suki so much? He wanted to Mark her? What did that mean?

 **"Marking? Mating? What are you talking about? You aren't making any sense? What do you think about Orochimaru's offer?"** He replies.

 _ **"It would be easier just to go along with it. Once you are alone with the Uchiha, you can Mark her and then use the Flying Thunder God Technique to return to the Leaf. As for Mating, I'll explain that later. Right now, you need to keep your eyes on the Sannin."**_ The Nine Tails reminds him.

Naruto frowns as he considers Kyuubi's advice. He did have a point. It might just be easier to stay and grab Suki at the first opportunity. Then he could take her home. Oh she'd be mad at him, but it was for her own good.

He couldn't seriously let her stay here. Not with Orochimaru. He wasn't going to lose her again. Naruto remembered what happened during the fight with Haku once more and shivers. No. He never wanted to feel that way again. One way or another, he was going to save her.

"He's right about one thing. It's my choice." Naruto says.

"Yes, which is why you should go back to the Leaf. Naruto, I can handle this. This has nothing to do with you." Suki tells him.

That irritated him. Why couldn't she just let him help her? Why did she always have to act like she had to do everything on her own?

"I'm staying. It's the smarter deal. Orochimaru gets Itachi. So he'll get his vessel. You'll avenge your Clan and you can come home." Naruto reasons.

"Are you out of your mind?! Go! I don't want you here!" Suki growls at Naruto as she charges at him, forming a Chidori.

 _ **"You're Mate is going to be a handful. The sooner you Mark her, the better."**_ The Nine Tails informs him.

Naruto have time to formulate a response to that little gem though . He was too busy, dodging Suki's attack. His friend really didn't want him to stay here. The blonde decides to take that as a good sign.

On some level, Suki realized that this place was bad news. She knew that it was dangerous to be here. That and she feisty Uchiha didn't want him here. She didn't want him here because she knew that Naruto could get hurt or even killed at the Sound. Suki still cared about him.

"I said that I'm staying!" Naruto says as he grabs her hand and slams her into the wall.

He quickly grabs her hands and wraps them around her back. Suki's hands were lethal. Whether it was Taijutsu or Ninjutsu, they could prove deadly. He needed to make sure that she couldn't use them or her Sharingan on him.

Suki tries to slam her elbow into Naruto's stomach. Unfortunately, his grip was too strong. It was just like before. When had Naruto gotten this much of an edge on her when it came to brute force? Was it the Nine Tail's influence?

"Naruto, let go of me." She hisses at him.

"Not until you realize that I'm staying. I'm not going back without you. I meant it when I said that I didn't deserve to be Hokage, if I couldn't save my friend." He tells her.

Suki didn't know whether to laugh or cry at that moment. Naruto really did believe that. He thought that it was that simple. The good guys would always win in his mind. The blonde just didn't understand the way the real word worked, but she did.

 _"I'm late!" She said to herself as she raced back inside her family's District._

 _She had stayed late at the Academy. Suki had been practicing her kunai throwing. Her goal was to become a powerful ninja, just like her big brother and maybe then her father would acknowledge her too! Like he did Itachi!_

 _Now though, she was late. Suki knew that she was going to be in big trouble. That was why she ran as fast as she could through the District and towards her house._

 _"It's so quiet." Suki whispered to herself, slowly slowing down._

 _It was too quiet. It was as bit late, but it wasn't that late. There should still be some people out in the streets or at least some lights should be on. Where was everyone?_

 _Cautiously, she approached her house and entered. She looked around, but didn't see anyone. Suki didn't see her mother, father, or brother. Feeling more frightened, she decided to check her parents' bedroom. That's where she found them. Laying in a pool of their own blood._

 _"Mother! Father! Wake up!" She screamed as threw herself on their bodies and tried desperately to wake them up._

 _Her young mind didn't want to believe that they were actually dead. Despite all the blood, she thought that maybe she could save them somehow. She screamed and screamed for help._

 _"They aren't going to wake up. They're dead." She heard a familiar voice say._

 _"Itachi! Who did this?!" She asked._

 _"I did. I was the one who killed them and the rest of our Clan." He told her and her eyes widened in horror._

 _That couldn't be right! Her big brother wouldn't do that! This couldn't be happening! It couldn't possibly be true!_

 _"Why?! Why?!" Suki demanded, tears flowing freely down her young face._

 _"To test my limits." He told her and Suki felt an unfamiliar emotion bubble up inside her._

 _It was dark and hot. It hurt. It wasn't just sadness, it was something else. It was hatred. For the first time in her young life, she knew what it truly felt like to hate someone._

 _"To test your limits?! That's the reason you butchered every single member of our Clan?!" The Uchiha girl yelled at him._

 _"Yes. You're pathetic. You're not worth killing. One day though, you might be. Nurse your hatred. Let it make you stronger. Then come find me. Maybe you'll be wroth fighting one day." He said as he used a Jutsu on her that she had never seen before._

 _When she woke the next day in the hospital, she overheard the medics talking. Her family was gone. They were never coming back, but she was going to avenge them. Suki was going to find Itachi and she was going to make him pay for what he did to their Clan! She would avenge them!_

"The world doesn't work like that! You can't always get what you want! Go back to the Leaf!" She snarls at him.

Naruto watches as Suki became practically rabid. It was like trying to keep a tigress pinned to the wall or something. She kept trying to free herself from his hold, but he wasn't going to let it happen. This time, he was going to save her.

"Maybe not, but I'm not going to give up. He offered me a chance to stay and I'm taking it. I'm not leaving you behind." He tells her.

"Suki, he's made his decision. You should respect it." Orochimaru says gleefully.

If Suki hadn't been pinned to the wall, she would have punched Orochimaru. Wait. It had worked once before. Maybe she could shock Naruto off of her again.

 _ **"Her chakra is beginning to spike. She's going to attempt a Chidori. Knock her out."**_ Kurama says.

Naruto quickly aims a swift blow at Suki. It was just hard enough to render her unconscious, but not to cause permanent damage. He sighs as he catches her in his arms.

"Why do you have to be so stubborn?" Naruto whispers.

"Women are like that. Come Naruto, there is much that you have to learn." Orochimaru says with a smirk.

Naruto tries to fight back the impulse to attack Orochimaru. He knew that the man was weak. He needed the transfer soon. Somehow though, he was standing and walking. The blonde doubted that would be the case for long though.

"Later. I'm going to find someplace safe for her to rest." He insists.

Orochimaru smirks. Ah yes. It was all going according to plan. Clearly, a Mating was going to happen soon. He had already tried to bite her. It was only a matter of time.

"Very well. I'll have Kabuto show you to her room." He says as he heads back to his own.

He was growing far too weak. They would need to perform a transfer and quickly. For now though, he needed his rest.

"Follow me." Kabuto says simply.

Naruto does so. He was still carrying Suki in his arms. It wasn't lost on him that he was carrying her Bridal Style. If Suki woke up right now, he was sure that she would have tried to kill him.

"You may share a room with her. Lord Orochimaru figures that the two of you will want to be close to each other." He says.

"Yeah. Thanks." Naruto says as he gives Kabuto his best Death Glare.

At that moment, Naruto found himself envious of Suki. No one had a better glare than her. She could have scared anyone with that trademark dirty look of hers. Unfortunately, he'd just have to make due with what nature gave him for the moment.

Thankfully, it worked. Kabuto nods at him and heads off. The second he was out of sight, Naruto lays Suki down on the bed and shuts the door behind Four Eyes.

 _ **"Soundproof the room. She's going to be furious when she wakes."**_ The Nine Tails points out.

 **"Yeah. Good point."** Naruto agrees as he does exactly that and waits for Suki to wake up.

Meanwhile back in the Leaf Village, Tsunade groans as most of the Rookie Nine and Gai's Team give her their report. This wasn't good news at all.

"So you encountered Suki Uchiha, but she escaped?" She demands.

"Yes. She flickered back into the village. We had to leave. Otherwise, we would have been fighting the entire Sound Village." Ino says.

Tsunade sighs and nods. She couldn't exactly argue with the other blonde there. That wouldn't have ended well for them.

"Wait. Where's Naruto?" Tsunade thunders at them.

That's when every other member of the Rookie Nine and Gai's Team look around for Naruto. Damn it. He wasn't with them.

"Oh no! He must have gone back for her!" Sakrua cries out in terror.

Was Naruto trying to get himself killed? Sakura knew that he wanted to get Suki back. She wanted to get their friend back as well, but this was just suicidal.

"If we send a team in after him, it will be the end of him. As one person, he might be able to escape. There is also the slight chance that somehow he might be able to retrieve her on his own." Tsunade says.

"We can't just leave him there!" Sakura and several of the others chorus at once.

"If you charge in now, you'll be facing the entire Sound Village. It will be a suicide mission. I can't condone that. Stand down! That's an order from your Hokage!" She snaps at them.

She didn't like doing it. Tsunade wanted nothing more than to charge in and save the day, but that would likely get them all killed. She could only hope that Naruto would come up with a plan or get extremely lucky.

A short while later, Naruto was still in Suki's room. She was still unconscious. He sighs and sits next to her, running his fingers through her hair.

 _ **"Her fur is rather well kept."**_ Kurama offers and Naruto could only nod in agreement.

Despite the spiky appearance, it was surprisingly soft. It felt like velvet really. He smiles at the sensation. Naturally, that's the moment that Suki chose to woke up.

He was suddenly staring into a pair of very angry ruby red eyes. Uh oh. Naruto wisely jumps back a few feet.

"I can't believe you knocked me out!" She growls at him.

"I had to. You weren't listening to me!" Naruto says.

"So you're saying, that I should knock you out all the time. You never listen to me! I told you that I would come back to the Leaf. I just have to kill Itachi first!" She snaps at him.

"Well now I'm going to help you do that." The blonde replies.

Suki sighs. Naruto was impossible. He was going to get himself killed at this rate and she wasn't sure how to prevent that.

"I can't do this. I can't chase Itachi and worry about you. Naruto, why couldn't you just listen to me?" She demands.

"I told you why. Besides, I can help. I have the Nine Tails!" He exclaims.

"Fine. You can stay. Just don't bite my neck again." She says, hoping that he'd leave it that.

Naruto sighs. He wraps his arms around her and hugs Suki. He knew that she didn't want him there, but now he knew why. Suki still cared about him. That's what mattered most.

"Yeah. About that. I'm sorry. I don't know what came over me." He whispers.

"It's okay. It's not you fault." Suki whispers back.

Naruto didn't know then. Damn it. He had almost demonically married her and he didn't even know it! She wasn't even sure how she was going to explain that to him. She did know one thing though, she couldn't tell him until after Itachi Uchiha was six feet under.

Elsewhere Itachi was speaking with Obito. Well he mentally corrects himself. He was speaking with "Tobi." It was really Obito though. Obito who sometimes pretended to be Madara Uchiha. (Honestly, the man had more identities than most people had sandals.)

"You're growing weaker and you know it. If this keeps up, you'll die long before she can kill you." He taunts the other man.

"I'll worry about that. After my death, you are to leave her alone. She has nothing to do with either of our sins." He says.

That's when Itachi launches into a coughing fit. The younger Uchiha coughed up alarming amounts of blood. Damn it. The medicine wasn't working as well as it used to.

As much as it pained him to admit it, Obito was right. He was going to have to act quickly. Sadly, that snake had a hold on Suki now. If he couldn't lure her away from the Sound, he was going to have to visit that village.

"Once you are dead, there really isn't anything to stop me. I do wish that you would cease playing the role of a martyr. It truly is a shame. You have such potential and a new world is about to dawn. It's a tragic that you've chosen not to see it." Obito continues.

Itachi's eyes narrow. If it wasn't for Obito, he didn't know whether or not, he would have been able to go through with it. The memory of that horrible night still weighed heavily on his soul. It had to be done though.

Despite that, he would do it again. Itachi had prevented a war. That was more important than any personal suffering he was enduring. His only regret was that Suki had to suffer along with him.

"You are aware that she's gone to Orochimaru, are you not?" Obito inquires.

"I'm aware. She won't stay with him. He's foolish, if he really believes that she's going to give him her body. She's just using him in the same manner that he believes that he's using her." Itachi reasons.

"I suppose that we shall see if that is indeed the case." Obito says and Itachi could only nod in agreement.

In all honesty, he probably had less time than Orochimaru left. He needed to act quickly. Itachi just wasn't sure how he was going to lure her away from the Sound, but he would find a way to do it. He had to.

Back in the Sound, Suki sighs. It was apparent that Naruto wasn't going to listen to reason. Now she had to find a way to kill Itachi and prevent her loveable, dumb blonde from getting killed.

"Kabuto said that I could stay with you, in your room." Naruto says.

"Wait. What?!" Suki demands in outrage.

Oh when she got her hands on that damn medic, she was going to strangle him! That idiot knew that Naruto had tried to Mark her. That was probably why he was so eager to have her share a room with Naruto. Damn him.

"He said I could share a room with you. It'd probably be safer. I mean this place is crawling with creeps. I can protect you easier this way." He says.

Of course, Naruto would say that. He probably meant it too. Any other guy would have tried to take advantage of the situation, but Naruto just wanted to play her Knight in Shining Armor.

"Naruto, I'm a big girl. I don't need you to protect me. I've been here for years. I'm fine." She insists.

"Well now you'll be better than fine." Naruto says.

"I have no idea what I'm going to do with you. I guess we'll share the bed. It's better than having one of us sleep on the floor and mess up our back." She says.

Suki was trying her best not to blush. Naruto might have still been completely innocent, but she wasn't. Naruto was her first kiss and she'd never gone further than that, but she knew about kunais and pouches. She knew enough about the topic to realize what happened more often than not when men and women shared a bed.

"Suki, are you alright? You're face is turning kinda red." Naruto says.

Damn it. Why was this happening to her? Why couldn't Naruto just stay in the Leaf where he was safe? Why did he have to see her blush? Well at least he didn't realize that she was blushing. That soothed her pride a bit.

"Nevermind. Let's just get some sleep. It's probably going to be a long day tomorrow." She says with a sigh as she gets on the bed and waits for him to join her.

"Yeah." Naruto agrees as he gets on the bed with the girl who was constantly haunting his dreams.

At some point, Suki fell asleep. Naruto smiles when he felt her curl into him. She might not let anyone near her when she was awake, but it looked like she was actually a cuddler.

Who would have ever imagined that? Suki Uchiha was a cuddler. Damn. It was like the world had turned on its axis or something.

"Please don't wake up and kill me." Naruto whispers as he lifts the sleeping woman in his arms and flickers to the Seal.

He'd take her back to the Leaf. Suki was going to be furious with him. He knew that. Still Naruto would rather have an angry, live Suki than a dead Suki.

 _ **"That's better. Sometimes one has to be firm with their Mate. If you aren't, they will walk all over you."**_ Kurama says knowledgably.

 **"What's the deal with all this Mate Stuff anyway?"** Naruto demands as they arrive in the Leaf Village.

Kurama shakes his head. Naruto was young, but was he really that young? He couldn't believe that he was going to end up playing matchmaker to two "baby ninjas." He didn't know whether to laugh or cry at that irony.

 _ **"You'll see."**_ He says cryptically and the Nine Tails chuckles when he hears Naruto's rather colorful response to that.

 **"Oh that was helpful! You useless old fleabag! Would it kill you to just give me a straight answer for once?!"** Naruto demands.

Kurama chooses that moment to ignore Naruto. Naruto grumbles and takes Suki to Tsunade's office. Granny Tsunade would know what to do, right?

His instinct was to call out to her, but he knew better. That would wake up Suki. So he looks for the busty blonde and sighs in relief when he found her still in her desk.

"Naruto? How did you get back?" She asks in astonishment.

"Flying Thunder God Technical. I placed a seal in the Leaf and at the Sound. I tricked Orochimaru into thinking that I was joining him. I got Suki. I'm just not sure what to do with her now. She's going to be really, really mad when she wakes up." Naruto whispers.

"Well first things first, chakra cuffs are a must." Tsunade says as she takes out a pair and slaps them on Suki's wrists.

Uh oh. Naruto knew that Suki was definitely not going to like that. Sadly, he couldn't really argue with Tsunade's logic. They were kinda needed.

"Alright. Then what?" He asks.

"You put her down, I think she's waking up." Tsunade points out and Naruto gulps as he sets Suki down in a chair and the youngest Uchiha looks around in confusion.

"Where am I? The Hokage's office?" She whispers.

"Yeah. About that. I kinda used the Seal to teleport us here. You're safe. Sorry about the cuffs, but it's just a precaution." Naruto says brightly.

"…" Suki is speechless.

She was back in the Leaf. She was back in the Leaf AND cuffed. How the Hell did this happen?

"You actually outsmarted Orochimaru. I can't believe it." She says with a sigh.

"Yeah! I did! Believe it! Hey, what's that supposed to mean?!" He demands.

"Well usually, planning isn't really your strong suit. You tend to rush in without thinking about the consequences." Suki replies and Tsunade shakes her head.

She couldn't argue with that accurate description. The Hokage knew that Naruto was going to though. Oh boy. This was going to be a long night and it likely wouldn't take Orochimaru long to realize Suki was missing. All Hell was about to break loose.


	5. Chapter 5

Primal

 **Author's Note:** Thanks for the reviews. I hope you all enjoy this chapter.

Naruto talking to Kyuubi in **bold**.

Kyubbi talking to Naruto in _**bold italics**_.

Chapter 5

Naruto blinks as he tries dodges Suki's rather vicious kick. Her hands were cuffed and she couldn't use chakra, but that didn't stop her fury. If she couldn't use her hands, she'd try kicking. If that didn't work, she'd try biting. Suki was relentless.

 _ **"Such a fiery vixen. She reminds me of her ancestor Madara, but with less hair and she's obviously, softer."**_ Kurama says conversationally.

That was annoying. Kurama seemed to think all of this was funny. The Nine Tails thought it was funny that Suki was currently trying to kill him for the crime of saving her!

 **"I have no idea who that is, but come on! I need a little help here!"** The blonde exclaims.

There was something really beautiful about an angry Suki. It was like watching an erupting volcano. She was magnificent in her fury. Naruto just wished that her fury wasn't directed at HIM!

 _ **"If you Mark her, she'll settle down."**_ The Nine Tails replies as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

Naruto still didn't know what Marking was, but he knew that Suki wasn't going to stop anytime soon. Damn. She really was angry.

"Do you have any idea, what you'd just done?!" She demands as she aims another kick at the blonde.

"Dodged your kicks? Suki, I just saved your life! You should be thanking me! You shouldn't be trying to kill me! You don't make any sense!" Naruto protests as he moves to the side.

Suki twitches and the blonde gulps. That was probably the wrong thing to say. The other ninja lunges at him once more.

 _ **"She's excellent for your agility training. I must give her that much."**_ Kurama says with a smirk.

 **"You're not helping!"** Naruto says.

Suki glares at the man she loved. Suki supposed that apparently love and hatred were similar emotions. They were both passionate and intense emotions. Half the time, she wanted to kiss him and the other half of the time, she wanted to strangle him. That was just how her relationship with Naruto worked.

Why couldn't he see that she didn't need rescued? Suki didn't enjoy being in the Sound, but it was a necessary evil. She was a big girl and could take care of herself. Naruto needed to get that through his thick skull.

"What doesn't make any sense is you "rescuing" me, when I didn't need to be rescued!" She says as she slams a kick into his stomach.

That probably wasn't her wisest move. Naruto grabs her leg and sends the raven haired woman flying over his shoulder. Soon enough, he was on top of her AGAIN.

This was getting to be a habit, Suki muses to herself. A habit that she was going to have to break. In this position, he could easily bite her and she doubted that he even understood what Marking was at this point.

"For someone so smart, you can be really stupid sometimes! You were at the top of our class in the Academy and actually thought it was a good idea to go off on that creep?!" The blonde demands.

"I never said that it was a good idea or that I wanted to go with him. I needed to get stronger and I still do. Obviously, I do. Even a loser like you can knock me out." She mutters as she tries to shove Naruto off of her.

Falling back into their old rivalry was easy. It was also likely piss him off. If she pissed him off, maybe that would make him less likely to Mark her. She couldn't let him bite her, until after Itachi was dead.

"Oh yeah?! If I'm such a loser, how come I got you back here?!" Naruto demands.

"After three years of trying. Mostly because you got lucky. I can't believe you got passed security. It's almost like he let you go." She says and then her eyes widen in horror.

He had. Orochimaru had let Naruto take her away. He wanted the blonde to Mark her. The Sannin had probably figured he'd do so in the Leaf Village faster than he would in the Sound.

It was certainly a risky strategy, but then again this was Orochimaru. The older ninja didn't shy away from pushing his body to the limits. He wanted to find the key to immortality. That meant he was a gambler by nature. He might actually be crazy enough to let Naruto "escape."

"Suki, are you alright?" Naruto asks in confusion when he realizes that suddenly she wasn't struggling anymore.

"Yeah. I'm fine. You are SUCH a loser." She growls at him.

She was fine for now. Unfortunately, that wasn't the end of Orochimaru. He was going to come for her and hard. He was likely just waiting for Naruto to Mark her.

The last Uchiha wouldn't put it passed the snake to have spies inside the Leaf Village. He'd know. Orochimaru would know, if Naruto Marked her. It was yet another reason to make sure that the blonde's teeth stayed far away from her neck.

"Pft! Please! You're such an ice princess!" He grumbles.

"And you still sound like a Genin." Suki tells him with a smirk.

Meanwhile Orochimaru was back in the Sound and in his bed. From this point on, he wasn't certain that he would be able to leave his room until the transfer took place. That was fine though.

He was so close to achieving his goals. Soon enough, he would have an Uchiha Vessel. Orochimaru also knew that it was likely that he would have a future Uchiha Vessel lined up as well. An Uchiha Vessel that would be sired by a man who possessed the power of the Nine Tails.

"You seem in high spirits, considering that Naruto escaped with Suki. I'm confused Lord Orochimaru, why aren't you upset?" One of his followers asks.

Orochimaru hadn't even bothered to learn their name. This wasn't Sasuke or Kabuto. This was just a pawn. One day, they would likely be used as a decoy in a larger plan. The pawn was living on borrowed time. Their name wasn't important enough to remember.

"I wanted him to escape, you fool." He says.

"I don't understand. Why? He took Suki with him. Do you no longer desire for her to be your next body?" The pawn asks as he holds a cup of tea to the Sannin's lips.

Oh how he hated this part. He hated being weak and vulnerable. Fortunately, Orochimaru knew that it was only temporary. Soon enough, he would have his new body and be more powerful than ever before. He just had to bid his time.

"You don't need to concern yourself with such things. I have my reasons. If that isn't good enough for you, then I have no use for you. I will not tolerate any disloyalty. Do I make myself clear?" He asks through the pain.

His entire body was now constantly screaming in agony. That didn't matter to Orochimaru though. He had been through this many times before. In a twisted way, he was used to it.

"Yes, Lord Orochimaru! I would never question your judgment! You should know that I'm completely loyal to you!" The pawn exclaims desperately.

Despite the situation, Orochimaru found himself smirking. He did so enjoy listening to the fear in the other man's voice. It meant that he had him firmly under his control. That was exactly how he liked his villagers.

Sadly, Suki was going to take some work before she got to that point. The only thing that seemed to scare her at all was not killing Itachi or losing the Jinchuuriki. That was fine though. The Sannin certainly knew how to take advantage of both of those facts.

"Send for Kabuto. I need to speak with him, immediately." Orochimaru snaps and the younger man quickly takes off.

Good. He liked it when his dogs were well trained. That always made things easier.

"Lord Orochimaru? You wished to see me?" The silver haired medic asks as he cautiously enters Orochimaru's room a few minutes later.

He knew that when he got like this, the Sannin could become rather unpredictable. Unpredictable ninjas with Orochimaru's abilities were extremely dangerous. Kabuto wasn't foolish enough to underestimate him.

"Yes, do we have our spies in place in the Leaf Village? I need to know when Naruto Marks Suki. That is of vital of importance. That and has Itachi Uchiha been spotted recently?" He demands.

Kabuto nods in acknowledgement. He wasn't entirely certain this plan would work. He couldn't lie though. The silver haired medic was very interested to study the results of a Mating.

The few secondhand accounts that had been written were rather vague. He knew that was on purpose. None of the Mates had wanted to give away any important secrets. They had just left behind a vague blueprint to help anyone else who came after them.

"Our spies are in place. Nothing will happen in that village without our knowledge. I will inform you the moment that I hear anything. Itachi Uchiha was spotted recently. I have sent out a team to track his moments." He says.

"Good. We will need his location once the Marking is compete." Orochimaru says.

Kabuto sighs and nods once more. He still didn't fully like this plan. While he was certainly fascinated by the concept of a Mating, Orochimaru was taking a gamble here. A very dangerous gamble.

The Sannin was betting that Suki would be Marked before long and kill Itachi in short order. Orochimaru didn't have much time left before he had to take a new vessel or die. They all knew it.

"Are you certain this is a wise plan? We can likely still get her before the transfer. I know that you would be missing out on Itachi and the Jinchuuriki, but at least this way we would know for sure that you would get your new body." The medic inquires.

Orochimaru's eyes narrow. Kabuto was questioning him. He was questioning him out of concern, but that didn't change the fact that the man was questioning him.

He didn't care for that at all. The medic was his most trusted follower. Not only for his medical skills, but also for his loyalty. If Kabuto couldn't be trusted, then no one could be trusted.

"Do not question me." Orochimaru hisses at him.

"My apologies, Lord Orochimaru. I assure you that was not my intention. I would never question you. I was merely discussing strategy." He apologizes.

Orochimaru didn't believe that. Kabuto was rather fortunate that his medical skills were too valuable for him to lose. Well, he mentally corrects himself. Kabuto's medical skills were too valuable for him to lose at the moment.

That might change in the future. There were few medics on par with the silver haired man, but they did exist. He could find a replacement. It would be difficult, but he could do it. The Sannin just hoped that it didn't come to that.

A few hours later, Suki was in Tsunade's office. Naruto was likely asleep at this hour. The last Uchiha didn't think that the timing of meeting was a coincidence.

"Suki, you've put me in a rather uncomfortable position." She says with a sigh.

"That wasn't my intention, but that doesn't matter to me. I'm going to avenge my family. If you try to execute me, I will fight back. I will take as many Leaf Villagers down with me as I can before I go. Other than that, I don't care what you do with me." She retorts.

Tsunade sighs. The woman was stubborn. If she was in the raven haired ninja's position, she likely would have hunted down Itachi as well The Hokage could hardly blame her for wanting to avenge her family, but that didn't change the fact that this was a very tricky situation.

"The Council is going to want you to be punished somehow. You're the last Uchiha though. It would be genocide and the village would lose a powerful bloodline. Killing you isn't something that I want to do or really even something the Council wants to do." She says with a heavy sigh.

Suki raises an eyebrow. They wanted to use her for her Sharingan. She wasn't surprised by that fact. That is what the Leaf Village had done to her Clan since the founding of this village. They used their strength.

To a certain degree, the Leaf did this to everyone. The extent varied, but not the intent. The Leaf was very good at using their strongest villagers and then casting them aside when they were no longer useful.

This village had been just fine with her when she was the lone survivor. The prodigy with the tragic past. That was until she decided to start making her own decisions that they didn't like. Now things were different.

"Good. If you had decided to kill me, I would have warned you not to do it for another reason. Naruto wants to Mark me. I think it's subconscious, but he almost did it earlier. I'm fortunate that the chakra transfer didn't go through. I can't allow it to happen. I have to kill Itachi. Linking myself to Naruto in such a way, would make him very vulnerable while I avenge my Clan." The raven haired woman says bluntly.

Tsunade's eyes widen. She knew enough about Jinchuurikis to realize what that meant. If they tried to kill Suki, Naruto would have likely leveled the village to the ground in a blind rage. It was only sheer dumb luck and her bloodline that had prevented such an outcome.

"We shall have to figure out what we are going to do with such information. A Jinchuuriki who feels rejected by their Mate is a very dangerous animal, even if you haven't taken his Mark." The medic states.

Suki bites her lower lip. She hadn't thought about that. It hadn't been a rejection, but the Mark hadn't been finished. The Nine Tails might feel rejected. That might transfer to Naruto. This situation could get out of hand and quickly.

"I didn't reject him. I didn't even know what he was doing. Kabuto is the one who saw the Mark on my neck and told me the truth." Suki whispers.

Tsunade frowns. She knew what that meant. Kabuto knew. That meant Orochimaru knew. The Leaf was in serious danger.

"You realize what this means?" She asks.

"Orochimaru knows that Naruto tried to Mark me. I'm afraid that he left Naruto escape with me. He wants him to Mate with me." The last Uchiha mutters.

The Hokage raises her eyebrow at Suki's response. That wasn't what she had been expecting. She had expected that the other woman would know that the other Legendary Sannin was aware of the situation. She never would have dreamed that Suki would believe Orochimaru WANTED her to Mate with Naruto.

"Why do you think that he would desire for you and Naruto to become Mates? It doesn't make any sense." She demands.

"Orochimaru loves power in all its forms. The Nine Tails is certainly powerful. He has a crazy idea in his head that I can kill Itachi and Itachi will be his vessel. Naruto will be loyal to him as long as Orochimaru "gives" me to him. It all makes sense in a psychotic way." The raven haired woman replies.

Tsunade frowns as she considers Suki's words. As much as she was loathed to admit it, they rang true. The Uchiha was telling the truth. Well she was telling the truth as she saw it anyway.

Whether or not that was actually Orochimaru's plan, remained to be see. Sadly, in some ways it didn't matter. Orochimaru knew that Naruto wanted Suki to be his Mate. That was horrible news.

"Do you want to be Naruto's Mate?" She asks.

"That's really none of your business. That's a very personal question." Suki snaps at her.

The busty blonde couldn't help but smile. That response meant that the question had hit close to home. Suki may be a criminal ninja, but it was obvious that she hadn't been able to severe at least one connection she had to the Leaf Village. Her love for Naruto.

It wasn't the love that one had for a teammate. It wasn't even the love that one had for a friend. Nor was it the love one had for a family member. This was obviously more than that. Suki actually did love him.

"Personal or not, it impacts this village. I'm not sure you realize what a dangerous position you have now put yourself and him in." She says.

"I realize it. That's why I was trying to stay away in the first place!" Suki growls at her.

She wished things were different. If the Massacre had never happened, then she never would have gone to the Sound. Naruto probably would have already Marked each other and she wouldn't be a Criminal Ninja. Things weren't different though.

She had to find a way to protect him. At least for a little while. Suki just wasn't sure how she was going to do that yet. She'd figure something out though. Failure wasn't an option.

Meanwhile Itachi was on the move again. This time he had come to the Sound Village. If all went well, today would be his last day alive.

Suki would finally get her revenge. She'd be the hero in the eyes of everyone. The hero who had killed the Clan Slayer and hopefully, his sister would finally be able to move on with her life.

"I don't sense her chakra." He mutters to himself as he stays hidden on the outskirts of the Sound Village.

That thought unsettled him. He knew Suki's chakra signature like the back of her hand. Was she no longer in the Sound Village? Had something happened to her in his absence?

"Looks like we got ourselves a game of Hide and Go Seek." Kisame says with a smirk.

Itachi would have rolled his eyes at his teammate, if it wasn't beneath his dignity. Uchihas didn't roll their eyes. They were above such matters.

"It would seem so." He says as he performs a Transformation Jutsu to look like Kabuto.

Kisame follows suit. He now looked like one of the Sound Villagers. His partner had chosen a high level villager for a good reason. No one would be suspicious, if they were walking around the village.

"Did you hear?" A Sound Villager asks another.

"That the Uchiha left with the Jinchuuriki? Yeah. I heard. Lord Orochimaru is going to be furious." The other replies.

Itachi's eyes narrow. So that's why she wasn't here. She had left with Naruto. That was mostly a good thing.

At least this way, she wouldn't end up giving Orochimaru her body. On the other hand, now it meant he had to track her down again. Well at least now he knew where to start looking.

The Leaf. She'd likely be in the Leaf Village. That was going to pose a challenge. He couldn't allow himself to get caught and somehow, he had to leave her away from that placed. They would need privacy for their final battle.

"Well I guess that answers that question. We need to get going." Kisame says as he teleports off with Itachi.

He knew the truth. Itachi was really sick. If they stayed there too long, he'd launch into another coughing fit. Someone was definitely going to notice if "Kabuto" started coughing up blood. It was in their best interest to get out of there and quickly.

Meanwhile back in the Leaf, Naruto had just woken up fro another dream. A very vivid dream. He was starting to get a little concerned.

 **"Kurama, tell me what's going on! Why do I keep dreaming about biting her like that?! It's not normal!"** He demands.

 _They had been fighting. It was after the Retrieval Team found Suki and they were along. Naruto's teeth had sunk into her neck. Only this time, it didn't stop there._

 _"Naruto!" She gasped and arched against him._

 _This time, he knew that was giving her some of his chakra. He knew that it was important, but not why. That and she felt so good pressed up against him like that and he really liked it when she said his name that way. It was exciting for reasons, he didn't completely understand._

 _It felt even better when she bit him back. After a moment or two, he saw that Orochimaru's Mark had been covered over by an orange spiral pattern. It was like she had his name tattooed on her neck in a way. For some reason, he found that extremely satisfying._

 _ **"It's perfectly normal for someone who with a Tailed Beast inside them to take a Mate. I suppose I shall try to simplify things for you. My kind doesn't believe in marriages. We show our…appreciation for our lovers in different ways."**_ He says.

 **"You don't get married? Then what do you do? Wait. What do lovers have to do with anything?"** Naruto asks in confusion.

Kurama just shakes his head. Maybe Naruto was just one of those humans who reached maturity later than others. He didn't know.

Sometimes it was amusing. At other times, it could be rather annoying to have such a naïve host. How the blonde had kept his innocence when he was taught by Jirayia and Kakashi was completely beyond Kurama's understanding.

 _ **"You want to bite her because she's your Mate. Once you two bite each other and exchange chakra, by demonic standards you are what humans call married. There are many advantages to such an arraignment. Though there are a few disadvantages."**_ The Nine Tails explains.

Naruto blinks. Wait. What?! Kurama was trying to say that he wanted to MARRY Suki?!

 **"Well that's really interesting and all, but I don't like her that way. I mean she's Suki. She's my teammate. She's my rival. She's my friend. I don't like her THAT way."** Naruto insists.

Kurama just shakes his head. There were many strange things about humans. One of the strangest was how difficult they made it to Mate. He would never understand it.

 _ **"Do you honestly believe that the reason why you chase her is merely because she's your friend? So you wouldn't mind at all if say, Kabuto was to express a romantic interest in her? Hmm. Well she doesn't seem too fond of him. Perhaps Neji instead? They would seem a rather compatible pair."**_ The Nine Tails taunts him.

Naruto clenches his fists and grits his teeth. He wasn't sure why, but the thought of Neji with Suki like that made him see red. He shouldn't be angry about something like that. Suki could date whoever she wanted, as long as she wasn't with that snake creep. That didn't change the fact that he was angry about it though and that disturbed him.

 **"That'd be completely up to her. It wouldn't bother me at all. "** He lies.

 _ **"You are an extremely pathetic liar. You chose her at a young age. It's not surprising that you didn't recognize what you chose her for. At least she isn't as oblivious as you."**_ Kurama continues.

Naruto blinks. The Nine Tails was basically saying that Suki knew about them being Mates. She knew and she didn't tell him!

"I'm going to go talk to her right now! You're crazy." Naruto grumbles.

He quickly rushes off to find Suki. The blonde had to talk to her. One way or another, Naruto was going to find out if Kurama was right or wrong. He just wasn't sure what he was going to do, if Kurama turned out to be right.


	6. Chapter 6

Primal

 **Author's Note:** Thanks for the reviews. I hope you all enjoy this chapter.

Naruto talking to Kyuubi in **bold**.

Kyuubi talking to Naruto in _ **bold italics**_.

 **Chapter Notation:** I'm not certain how far away the Sound is from the Leaf Village travel wise. I'm going on the assumption that it's fairly close and Suki is fast. So that's why she got there so quickly.

Chapter 6

Suki was back in her District. Tsunade had apparently decided without access to her chakra, she wasn't as big of a threat. The busty blonde wasn't stupid though. Suki could sense that there were some ANBU scattered throughout the District.

In a way, it was flattering. The Fifth Hokage thought enough of her skills that she believed it was necessary to have a team of ANBU watch Suki. Despite the fact that she couldn't access her chakra, Tsunade still took her seriously.

"Naruto?" She whispers to herself when she feels a very familiar chakra signature rushing towards her.

Naruto wasn't flickering though. He'd never been inside the Uchiha District before. That was probably why. That and the ANBU Team likely wouldn't respond well to him suddenly appearing without any warning. Naruto must have realized that and decided to make his way to her on foot.

"Suki?" He calls out as he knocks on a her door, a few minutes later.

The last female Uchiha sighs and goes to answer her door. She couldn't believe that the blonde had actually entered her District. Suki wasn't too happy about that fact.

Her childhood home was now more of a cemetery than anything else. All the houses were empty, save for her own. Many were now badly damaged from neglect. It was a depressing sight to say the least.

"I'm here. What do you want?" She asks.

The gardens were now being completely reclaimed by nature. Gone were the beautiful flowers, medicinal herbs, and small food gardens. They had been replaced by weeds and overgrown grass now. Grass that she was sure was hiding more than a few snakes and other animals.

Mostly though, it was the quiet. That was what made her home so eerie. Other than Naruto, it was deadly silent. Not even the ANBU dared to make a sound.

"Kurama's been acting really weird." Naruto says warily.

It was as if they were afraid of disturbing the dead. Suki couldn't blame them, if that was indeed the reason why they were being so quiet. Her District was so cold and lifeless now. Naruto didn't belong here.

The bubbly blonde definitely didn't belong here when he was saying things like that! Damn it! Suki had a bad feeling that she knew where this was going. The Nine Tails must have been talking to Naruto about everything.

"Come inside. I'd rather not have the ANBU overhear you talking about the Nine Tails." She says as she moves to the side and lets Naruto isnide.

"Yeah. Good point. Thanks. You know, I've never been to your house before." Naruto says as he looks around curiously.

Suki felt a bit embarrassed. She hadn't been here in years. It was in bad need of a cleaning. Dust and cobwebs were everywhere. Not to mention it was so bare and empty. It didn't look like anyone lived there because no one had for years.

"It's a little gloomy. Maybe some flowers and new curtains might help." The blue eyed ninja suggests.

Suki didn't think that flowers were going to help. She especially didn't care about curtains. She shakes her head in amusement though. That was Naruto for you. He was more worried about her interior decorating habits than the Nine Tails. He really needed to sort out his priorities.

"I'll think about the flowers and curtains, but right now we have more important things to talk about. What has the Nine Tails been saying to you?" She asks.

She really wasn't going to think about the flowers or curtains. Suki didn't plan on being in the Leaf long enough for it to matter. She had to find a way to get out of these chakra cuffs and then she would find Itachi. Once her brother was dead, the last Uchiha would come back to the Leaf. That was her plan.

"He's been talking about things like Mates and Marking." The blonde answers honestly and Suki internally winces.

This was bad. Naruto already knew about Mating. Well he at least knew the name. Suki could only hope that the fox had left him mostly in the dark.

"What's he saying about Mating?" She inquires cautiously.

"That you're my Mate and I'm supposed to bite you. It makes a Mark, but that's crazy. Biting someone doesn't mean anything, right?" Naruto asks.

She bites her lower lip and sighs. She could lie to Naruto, but there was the chance that the Nine Tails would tell him the truth. Lying might buy her some time, but it wouldn't solve the issue in the long run. It might be better to confront it head on.

"Demons are different than people in some ways. Mating is one of them. It doesn't matter though. Nothing is going to happen until Itachi is dead." She tells him.

"Wait. So you know what this Marking thing is?" The blonde asks.

"I know what it is, but it doesn't matter at the moment. Now, can you get me out of these damn cuffs?" Suki asks.

Naruto shakes his head. There was no way that he was letting her out of those cuffs. While she had them on, Suki wouldn't try anything stupid. She wouldn't try anything stupid like running away. The cuffs were staying on.

"No. You don't have to do this alone. You know that, right?" He asks.

"I know that, but this is my problem. Not yours. I don't want you anywhere near him. You could get killed." She snaps at him.

Naruto growls. She was worried about him getting killed, but Suki wasn't worried about herself! Didn't she see that this might be a suicide mission? Why wouldn't she let anyone help her?!

 _ **"She's stubborn. I suppose you are going either going to have to go with her or you'll have to Mark her. If she stays here without a Mark, she'll keep trying to escape."**_ Kurama says.

The young ninja hated to admit it, but Kurama was right. Suki was stubborn. She'd try to run off again. They all knew that she would.

 **"How do I Mark her? I get that I have to bite her neck, but what happens after that?"** He asks.

 _ **"You inject your chakra into her. Do it just like you would eject chakra from your hands. The only difference is that this time, you are emitting it from your mouth."**_ Kurama explains, clearly pleased Naruto had decided to listen to him.

Naruto didn't fully understand the Marking thing, but that sounded like a really good idea at the moment. This way, Suki would stay. She'd be safe in the leaf. They could sort out the rest later.

With that in mind, the blonde grabbed her. He quickly proceeds to tilt her had to the side and tries to bite her. Suki didn't take this too well. The raven haired beauty swiftly brings her knee up and rams it into his stomach.

"OWE!" He snarls in pain.

"You deserved it. That's what you get for trying to bite me. You really shouldn't listen to that furball. Did he even tell you what the Marking meant? Do you have any idea what you almost did again?!" The last female Uchiha thunders at him.

No. Naruto didn't really understand. He just knew that it'd make her stay and something about lovers. He still thought that Kurama was a bit out of his mind at the last part. Suki didn't even like him that way.

It was completely crazy. Naruto didn't really care though. He just wanted to protect his friend. The blonde didn't really care what he had to do in order to do that.

"No. Why don't you explain it to me?!" He demands as he comes at her again.

Suki manages to dodge. Naruto had no idea how she did it. Even with her hands cuffed, she was still the embodiment of grace. It was a bit annoying really and very distracting.

"Because you'd be an idiot and you would take it the wrong way!" Suki growls at him and kicks a vase at him.

This would be so much easier, if she could at least use her hands. Now she had to outrun him or use her legs. That or maybe her teeth. If worse came to worst, she could try biting him. As long as she didn't inject chakra, that would be okay.

"What the Hell?! You threw a glass vase at me!" The blonde exclaims in outrage.

"I'll do a lot worse than that to you, if you don't knock it off. I know what I'm doing, Naruto. You don't. Just leave it at that." The raven haired woman informs him.

Naruto was NOT going to leave it at that. He was going to get some damn answers. There was no way that he was going to let her leave like this. She couldn't even use chakra. She'd get herself killed!

That was why he charged at her and slammed her into the ground. Suki wasn't going quietly though. She kicked, kneed, and even tried biting him. The woman was like a wild animal at the moment.

"OWE! Will you stop biting me?!" He demands as they roll around and around on the floor.

They were moving so fast, that it was impossible to tell who was "winning." Naruto's body ached from Suki's kicks and bites. He was almost positive that her teeth might have managed to draw blood at a couple points. He wasn't going to give up though.

This was important. The only way that she was ever going to stay was for him to prove that he wasn't dead weight. He could help her against Itachi. One of the best ways of proving that was by beating her in this battle of wills. Well at least that was what was going on in the blonde's mind as he fought with Suki for control.

"I will stop biting you, when you stop trying to bite me!" Suki growls at him.

For some reason, Naruto really liked that growl. It made his teeth elongate. Naruto could feel it and could tell that Suki had noticed because her eyes had just widened in surprise.

"I wouldn't have to bite you, if you would stop trying to run away. I just don't want anything bad to happen to you. Is that really so bad?!" He demands.

Suki mentally sighs. Naruto was just trying to help. Granted, he was going about it in the right way. His heart was in the right place though. Maybe a change of tactics was in order.

"No, it's not so bad. I know you are only trying to help me. Naruto, I'm sorry. I don't mean to hurt you and I know that you don't mean to be annoying. It's just that I have to do this." She whispers and tries her best to look apologetic.

It really wasn't that hard. Suki did feel a bit guilty about all those bruises and bite marks covering him. She loved Naruto. She didn't want to hurt him, but the Uchiha would. If she had to, she'd fight him.

 **"Did she just say she was sorry? Suki never does that!"** Naruto asks in disbelief.

 _ **"Yes, I do believe she did. Maybe your display of aggression soothed her."**_ Kurama replies.

Naruto really didn't get how a display of aggression would calm Suki down. Then again, this was Suki. Who really knew what went on in her head? He doubted even Suki understood Suki.

"I know. I don't blame you. I just wish that you wouldn't go about it in a really stupid way. Seriously, Suki. Orochimaru is bad news. You know that, right?" He asks.

"I know that, but he's also strong. Do you think that I wanted to be there? I would have rather be in the Leaf. I would have rather been with Team Seven, but I didn't have a choice." She says and fakes a grimace.

She knew that it was evil, but sometimes one had to fight dirty. Naruto was a naturally empathetic person. He didn't like seeing others in pain. If he thought that she was seriously hurt, he'd get off of her.

"Damn it! How bad did I get you?" Naruto asks.

"Bad. You're also kinda sitting on my ribs and that hurts." She mutters.

"Oh. I'm sorry." Naruto says as he gets off her and helps Suki up.

Suki finds herself smiling, despite the situation. He was so sweet. The idiot really was worried about her. That made her feel guilty for what she was about to do, but it wasn't going to change her mind.

"It's okay. I'm sorry too." She whispers into his ear when she felt him wrap his arms around her in a hug.

"What are you sorry about?" He asks in confusion.

"Everything, but especially for this." Suki says as she raises her knee high enough to hit him hard in the stomach.

Naruto grunts in pain and falls over. That's when Suki took the opportunity to run like Hell. She couldn't use her chakra and that put her at a disadvantage, but she had to find a way to escape.

If she could get to the Sound, Orochimaru would undo the cuffs. Then she could find Itachi. Once she found him, she'd kill her brother. After that, Suki would return to the Leaf and hope that Naruto could forgive her. With that thought in mind, she takes off running as fast as she possibly could.

"Damn it!" Naruto growls as he tries to power through the pain.

 _ **"We should have anticipated that. She has to be the most stubborn vixen that I have ever met."**_ Kurama says.

 **"That's one way to put it. Come on. We have to find her!"** Naruto says as he races off after Suki.

Meanwhile with Kisame and Itachi, the two of them were heading towards the Leaf Village. The former Mist Ninja glances over at his partner warily. Itachi was stubborn, but the shark lover wasn't entirely certain how much longer he would last.

It seemed like it was mostly his sheer force of will that was keeping him alive. The Criminal Ninja couldn't help but wonder if Itachi would have lived if he was actually receiving proper medical treatment instead of just some pills. It was an interesting question.

"Are you afraid of it?" He asks.

"Am I afraid of what?" Itachi inquires as the two of them walk side by side towards the Leaf Village.

"Death. You seem pretty intent on rushing straight at it. You know you don't necessarily have to die. If you told your sister the truth, there is a chance she could forgive you. Even if she didn't, you might be able to get better if you saw a real medic instead of just clung to those pills." The blue skinned man clarifies.

Itachi frowns as he considers the question. Did he fear death? No. Not really. It'd be something of a relief in reality.

Suki could avenge their family. She'd be the hero and he wouldn't have to live with his guilt. All in all, it was the perfect solution in his mind and one that he longed for.

"No. I don't fear it. Do you?" Itachi inquires.

He was likely going to die soon. There was no harm in making conversation with Kisame. It wasn't as though the man could use it against him.

"It's something that I'd like to avoid for as long as possible. It's an animal instinct to fight for your survival. It kinda creeps me out that you apparently don't have that instinct." He admits as they continue walking.

Itachi merely shakes his head. What reason did he really have to go on? Suki was the last of his truly precious people and the world would keep spinning without him. He was certain of that much.

"It unnerves me that you speak of yourself as if you are an actual shark sometimes. That makes us even. We both have our own odd mannerisms." The last male Uchiha says.

"Suppose your right about that much. We should probably stop to rest for a bit. You need to take those damn pills of yours." The other man says.

Itachi smirks. He'd never come out and say it, but Kisame cared. In some sort of twisted way, the Uchiha was almost positive that he might have been Kisame's first friend. Most likely, his only friend.

"Of course." He says simply as they stop and he take as seat on a rather large rock.

It was conveniently placed. The rock was large and warm. Really, it was the perfect place to stop and rest for a few moments before he consumed his medication.

Medication that he desperately needed. If he was going to live long enough for Suki to kill him, he was going to have to continue take the "damn pills," as Kisame called them. He knew that his friend didn't really understand his decisions, but that was alright.

"We should get you proper medical treatment. It'd be a shame, if you died before she could kill you." Kisame taunts him.

Kisame might not really understand his motivations, but he respected them. The other man babbled a lot. Far more than Itachi felt was necessary, but he didn't really pry. He respected Itachi's privacy and that was a fact that Itachi found himself very grateful for.

"I may have to consider it." Itachi says reluctantly as he coughs up some more blood.

At that same moment, Suki was barreling towards the Sound Village. She might not be able to use her chakra, but her legs worked just fine. Orochimaru would be able to get these stupid cuffs off her.

She just had to be sure to avoid Naruto. He was fast, but she was confident that she still had the edge in speed. Well unless Jirayia had taught him something. She wasn't worried about the Flying Thunder God Technique at the moment because Naruto didn't know where she was going. She just had to outrun him.

"Come on! Come on!" She whispers to herself as she bolts off towards the Sound Village.

It was such a strange sensation. It was probably her least favorite place on Earth, after her District. Despite that, she was hurtling towards it as if her life depended on it.

Maybe in a way, it did. She was trying to protect Naruto as much as herself. The Mating Bond was too deep. It was too intense. Her lovable dumb blonde might not survive it, if she died in the fight with Itachi.

"I won't let that happen though." She says to herself.

Unfortunately, she knew that was a very real possibility. Itachi had taken out their Clan single-handedly. He had only been thirteen at the time. Her brother had likely only gotten stronger since then. There was a very real chance that she might die in their final battle.

"OROCHIMARU! KABUTO!" She calls out desperately.

Kabuto hears her call and flickers over to her. She sighs in relief. She had done it. She glances back over her shoulder and was even more relieved to discover that Naruto wasn't right behind her.

"Where's Naruto?" He asks.

"I left him behind. He's likely coming after me. I need these cuffs undone." She says as she holds out her hands.

Kabuto raises an eyebrow. This was not what he expected. He would have thought that Naruto would have Marked Suki by now. It didn't make any sense that she would return alone, in chakra cuffs.

"Come inside. We'll get those cuffs off of you. You have a lot of explaining to do. I suppose we can start with why you are wearing chakra cuffs." He muses as he gestures for Suki to follow him.

Suki sighs and does so. Well it was a start. At least she'd be able to use her chakra soon. That was something.

At that same moment, Naruto was trying to follow Suki's scent in a panic. He had to find her. She was almost completely defenseless like this. If she went back to Orochimaru in that condition, he'd probably take her body.

 _ **"He wants the two of you to Mate. He wouldn't take her body before that. I imagine that he wants the two of you to sire a child together. That child would be his backup vessel."**_ Kurama says.

 **"THAT'S SUPPOSED TO MAKE ME FEEL BETTER?!"** Naruto demands incredulously.

 _ **"Not necessarily. I'm merely explaining the reality of the situation."**_ The Nine Tails informs him.

Naruto was really tempted to strangle Kurama! He definitely wasn't making things better. He ignores the impulse though. Naruto had more important things to focus on. He had to get Suki out of there.

"Orochimaru wants us to Mate. Suki thinks that he let us escape. There's a chance, that I could just go inside." Naruto muses to himself.

The blonde ponders that possibility for a moment. He didn't know if it was true or not. At best, it was a fifty/fifty shot.

Deciding that it was better than nothing, he darts inside the Sound Village. Suki was around here somewhere. He just knew it. All he had to do was figure out where. Then he was going to drag her home. Again.

 _ **"You certainly chose yourself quite the stubborn Mate. Truly, I believe her to be even more stubborn than Madara Uchiha."**_ Kurama muses.

 **"You're NOT helping! Wait. Who is Madara?"** Naruto asks.

 _ **"Nevermind. Just go find your Mate and then I won't have to listen to your constant whining."**_ Kurama says and Naruto grumbles as he darts off do exactly that.


	7. Chapter 7

Primal

 **Author's Note:** Thanks for the reviews. I hope you all enjoy this chapter.

Naruto talking to Kyuubi in **bold**.

Kyuubi talking to Naruto in _**bold italics**_.

Chapter 7

Naruto had never been more angry in his entire life. Did Suki have a death wish or something? She had just run off while she was in chakra cuffs! Was she trying to get killed?!

 _ **"You'd be wise to grab her and then use the Seal to return to the Leaf. This village is dangerous. I'd level it to the ground, if your Mate wasn't inside it."**_ Kurama says.

 **"You still haven't explained exactly what that means!"** Naruto snaps at him as he looks around.

He knew that his eyes were likely red. Naruto could feel that his teeth had become sharper and so had his senses. He hadn't _Gone Full Kyuubi_ yet, but he was close. He was too close to losing control to put up with Kurama's cryptic nature.

 _ **"You're the most oblivious human that I have ever met. That is certainly saying something because most of your species tends to be pathetically dimwitted."**_ The Nine Tails replies.

Naruto growls in irritation. He wasn't in the mood to deal with Kurama's games. He had to find Suki and the blonde wanted to know what the Hell a Mate was once and for all.

 **"Just tell me!"** He snaps at him.

 _ **"Humans have different terms for it. The closest approximation in your species would be husband or wife. Mating goes much deeper than that, but that's the easiest way to explain it. I believe that Suki understands about Mating Bonds. That's likely the reason why she's avoiding you."**_ The fox demon explains.

Naruto''s eyes widen. That couldn't be true, could it? That's why he wanted to bite her so much and why she was avoiding him?

 **"There's no way that she's my Mate. There has to be some kind of mistake. She doesn't like me that way."** He says.

Kurama rolls his eyes. Humans had to make everything difficult. They had to rationalize things. Why they couldn't just accept when they found their Mates, he would never know.

 _ **"You almost Marked her twice. There's no mistake. Learn to trust your instincts. That and you should duck."**_ Kurama warns him.

Naruto quickly ducks and it was a good thing he did. He was being attacked by a group of Sound Ninjas. That just wasn't right. He was in the middle of a conversation!

"SHADOW CLONE JUTSU!" He shouts as a dozen or so clones form.

He didn't know if Suki was actually his Mate. At the moment, it didn't matter though. What mattered is that he had to find her and get her out of here!

Meanwhile Suki stiffens. She could hear Naruto's voice. Damn it. This wasn't supposed to happen!

"I have to go talk to him." Suki says, once Kabuto undoes the cuffs.

"Of course. You better hurry. Our ninjas will tear him to part, if he doesn't ask the Nine Tails for help and that would be rather unfortunate." The silver haired medic says.

Suki quickly darts off. She'd deal with Kabuto later. Right now, she needed to prevent a bloodbath.

"STOP! He's with me!" Suki screams as she races towards the Jinchuuriki and Sound Ninjas.

All the Narutos and Sound Ninjas suddenly stop fighting. Their eyes were suddenly fixed on Suki in surprise and the Uchiha takes a deep breath. She wasn't entirely sure how she was going to convince the idiot to go back to the Leaf, but that's exactly what she was going to do.

"If your name isn't Naruto, leave! Lord Orochimaru has put me in charge of this village during his illness." She thunders at them.

 **"She can be really bossy."** Naruto observes.

 _ **"All Uchihas tend to be that way."**_ Kurama replies to his host.

The Sound Ninjas retreat. Naruto was almost certain that they were going to tell Orochimaru about what was happening. He didn't care though. His priority was getting Suki out of there, not beating up Sound Ninjas.

"Loser, get out of here." Suki orders him as she activates her Sharingan.

The youngest Uchiha could only hope that it wouldn't come down to a fight. Unfortunately, she was almost positive that it would. That was the nature of her relationship with Naruto. They communicated best when their fists and jutsus were flying.

 __"I'm not going back without you. I don't understand it. Not completely anyway, but now I know why you keep running away from me. Kurama finally explained about Mates. How long have you know?! Why didn't you tell me?!" He yells at her.

Suki stiffens. Damn it. The Nine Tails told Naruto. How on Earth was she going to explain this?

"Because I knew that you'd take it the wrong way." She whispers.

"You're supposed to be my wife! What other way is there to take that?! Which doesn't make any sense because you sure don't act like you are in love with me!" Naruto says.

Suki flinches at that. He was right. She didn't act like it, but that didn't make it any less true. She really wished that she wasn't in love with him, but she was.

"Naruto, just go. I can prevent them from attacking you."" The raven haired ninja tells him.

"Not this time! I'm not going to let you do something stupid and get yourself killed! I finally get it. Well at least a little bit." Naruto says as he walks over towards her and Suki takes a few steps back.

"If you're thinking about Marking me, don't. Don't be stupid." She warns him.

As soon as the words came out of her mouth, Suki regretted them. This was Naruto. If you told him not to do something, he'd do it.

"Well seeing as you have called me an idiot at least a million times, I guess you should be used to me being stupid." Naruto says as he tries to grab Suki, but she takes off running.

"Damn it!" She mutters under her breath as she runs as fast as her legs could carry her.

She had always had an edge when it came to speed, but Naruto had the Nine Tails. His stamina wasn't even human. Her only hope was to outrun him long enough to lose him.

The youngest Uchiha should have taken into account that Naruto's favorite jutsu (other than the Rasengan) was the Shadow Clone Jutsu. She didn't just have to outrun one Naruto. She had to outrun a lot of them.

"Chidori!" Suki cries out when one of the clones gets too close.

This was ridiculous. There were way too many of them. She was going to need a little help.

Once she had distracted the clones with her Chidori, she quickly summons Aoda. Aoda had to be faster than Naruto, right?

Naruto growls and summons his massive toad in retaliation. Suki grumbles at this move. Damn Jirayia. The Sage had taught Naruto how too summon toads. Their Summons would be locked in a stalemate.

"Aoda, go!" Suki says, sending her snake off.

There was no point in having a battle of the Summons. Besides, that move might confuse Naruto enough, that she could get away. Why did he have to be so damn stubborn?

Sadly, Naruto didn't fall for it. The clones come charging at her. Suki throws kicks and punches at them. One by one, they disappear.

Clones were easy to deal with. Well most of the time, they were easy to deal with. Most people didn't have Naruto's nearly unlimited supply of chakra.

"This is bad." She mutters to herself.

Was it possible that Naruto was trying to wear her out with clones? It wasn't a bad strategy. Though she normally didn't associate the word strategy with the blonde.

 _ **"When you bite her, make certain that you inject her with chakra."**_ Kurama reminds Naruto.

Unbeknownst to Suki, Naruto, and Kurama. They had an audience. Kabuto was watching. He quickly flickers back to Orochimaru.

"Lord Orochimaru, Suki is engaging Naruto in combat. I suspect he is trying to Mark her. What are your orders?" He says.

It was a shame. Orochimaru couldn't even go to the battlefield. He was far too weak for that. A transfer was going to have to take place and soon. Otherwise, he feared for the worst. Orochimaru didn't have much time left.

"Don't interfere. I have every confidence that Naruto will tap into the power of the Nine Tails to Mark her. Instruct all of our people to stand down. I do not want them to engage Suki or Naruto." He hisses.

Every moment of his life was now spent in extreme agony. It was only sheer force of will that allowed him to keep his sanity. Orochimaru knew that he was close to achieving immorality. He could feel it. The Nine Tails and Suki were the key to unlocking the secret of eternal life. The Sannin could feel it in his very bones.

"Of course." Kabuto says as he heads off to carry out Orochimaru's orders.

The medic could certainly see why such a union would interest Orochimaru. It was rare to watch a Tailed Beast's host choose someone as their Mate and even rarer to get a real chance to study said Mating. Honestly though, he thought that Orochimaru was taking an unnecessary risk.

He was gambling that Suki would be able to find Itachi and he could use Itachi as his vessel. He was also hoping that Suki and Naruto would successfully Mate and produce at least one child. There were simply too many variables to make this a wise decision in his eyes.

"Well if I question his decision, that won't end well for me. I'll have to trust that Lord Orochimaru knows what he's doing." Kabuto whispers to himself.

He quickly summons the other Sound Villagers and gives them the order. If Orochimaru didn't want them to disturb Naruto and Suki than they wouldn't be allowed to do so. It really was as simple as that for the moment.

Meanwhile Suki was still fighting clones. She had formed some of her own to help with the task. Unfortunately, this was one Jutsu that Naruto was just better at. That was because he had far more chakra than she did.

"Damn it! Naruto, why won't you just quit?!" She snarls at him.

"Because I love you and I don't want you to die!" The blonde snaps at her as their clones clash.

Suki freezes when she hears those words. He had said it. He hadn't said because they were friends this time. He had said that it was because he _**LOVED**_ her.

"Do you really mean that?" Suki whispers.

Naruto bites his lower lip. He couldn't believe that he had said that! Suki was his friend. He didn't love her THAT way. Well at least he didn't think that he did.

That was until the words came out of his mouth. As much as he wanted to deny it, they felt true. Maybe Kurama was right . Maybe Suki really was supposed to be his wife. It explained a lot really.

"Yeah. I mean it." He says as he tries to get closer to the real Suki.

"I love you too. That's why I can't take you with me. I want you to be safe. Naruto, go back to the Leaf. I'll come back. I promise." She says.

Naruto really wanted to believe that. He really wanted to believe that she was going to survive the battle with Itachi and that she'd come back. The blonde couldn't be sure of either of those things though.

Kurama was right. He was going to have to Mark her. It was really the only way to protect her from doing something stupid. Besides, she had said that she loved him. That meant something.

"I'm not going to take that chance." Naruto tells her as he slams the other ninja into the ground.

Suki snarls at him and the two were soon struggling for control. Naruto felt Suki charge up a Chidori all along the length of her body. This time though, he wasn't going to let go. She was going to have to do a lot better than that to get away.

Suki had always enjoyed fighting with Naruto. It was probably unhealthy,, but she loved being pushed to her limits. As desperate as she was to save him from his own naivety, part of her reveled in the feeling of his body against hers.

The feeling of the dirt underneath her or against her skin. The small rocks digging into her. The harsh pain that followed every blow, only to be replaced by the satisfaction of landing her own hit.

"You're not going to win this time!" She growls at him.

The Hell he wasn't! Finally, Naruto manages to pin her. Suki was still struggling underneath him, but he clearly had the advantage.

"Looks like I did win. I won't Mark you, unless you want me to. It's basically a marriage. That wouldn't be fair." Naruto says.

Suki blinks as she looks up at Naruto. His eyes were still red and his teeth were noticeably sharper, but he was actually at least somewhat in control of herself. That fact was nothing short of a miracle really.

"I want you to. I just don't want you to feel what I feel. I don't want to put you through that. I don't want you to Mark me and then die, if I die. You don't deserve that." She whispers.

"Then you just have to not get killed. It's that simple." Naruto says with a grin.

"You really are such a loser. Life isn't a fairytale." Suki says with a wistful smile.

Naruto knew that life wasn't a fairytale. He had apparently fallen in love with a girl that had tried to kill him. That definitely wasn't a fairytale.

It might not have been romantic, but his feelings for her were real. They might have been subconscious for a long time, but suddenly it all made sense. In a twisted way, so did Suki's actions.

"Maybe not, but it doesn't have to be a tragedy." Naruto says as he covers part of Suki's creamy neck with his mouth.

Suki shivers at the feeling of his lips and teeth against her skin. Naruto was Naruto. Even half under the influence of Kurama, it seemed like he wanted permission.

"Do it." She whispers in a voice so low that it was a miracle that Naruto had even heard her.

She couldn't do it. Not after he said that he loved her. Not with his eyes looking at her with such sincerity. This time, she couldn't push him away.

Suki knew that she should. She should push him away for his own good. This was Naruto though. He would keep coming back. Maybe in the end, this would actually keep him safer than trying to keep him at a distance.

To encourage him further, she bites down lightly on Naruto's neck. That ought to get the message across. Apparently, no further prompting was needed.

Naruto bites down hard. She could feel his fangs beneath her skin, but for some reason didn't hurt. There was something incredibly erotic about the feeling.

"Nhh!" She cries out as she bites down on his neck hard, after Naruto's chakra began flooding into the small puncture marks that his teeth had made.

She couldn't describe it. It was like her chakra was being fanned or caressed at the same time. Her first natural affinity was fire and Naruto's was wind. In the back of her mind, dimly she realized that might actually be what was happening.

Naruto groans in pleasure when he felt Suki's teeth sink into her neck. He could feel her chakra spreading throughout his system. It was hot like the fire that he associated with her. He wasn't sure why, but the fire felt really, really good. Almost indescribably so.

 _ **"She's going to fall asleep, once the Mark takes full effect. After that happens, take her back to the Leaf. Use the Seal you created."**_ Kurama instructs him.

 **"Got it!"** Naruto says as he watches the Mark form on Suki's neck.

It was just like the one in his dreams. The blonde takes a moment too admire it and to ride out the high that came with his own Claiming. That's when he realizes that Suki had indeed fallen asleep.

Naruto smiles. It was nice to see Suki sleeping. For once, her guard was completely let down and she looked so relaxed. He almost felt guilty about picking her up and racing off towards the Seal.

"Let's get you home." He whispers to the sleeping dark beauty who was currently nestled, surprisingly sweetly in his arms.

Sweetly. That was one word that he never would have used to describe Suki before. Then again, he had never expected to be demonically married to her either. All in all, it was a day filled with surprises really.

Unfortunately, there was one more surprise in store for them. He could sense chakra signatures rapidly approaching them. ANBUS.

 **"Great. Now I have to try to explain all this to them."** He says with a sigh.

"Naruto! Are you alright? Is that Suki?!" One of the ANBU demands.

"Yeah. I'm fine. I got Suki. I knocked her out. She's okay though. It'd probably be better, if I explained this one to the Hokage. It'll be less confusing that way." He reasons.

The blonde could see that the ANBU were skeptical. After a moment or two, they reluctantly nod their heads in agreement. Naruto mentally sighs in relief.

Thank goodness. He really didn't want them to overhear what he was about to say to Granny Tsunade. That would be super embarrassing. Not to mention, Suki would probably kill him. If she thought that he was going around and telling everyone about their "marriage," well she'd likely turn into one angry Uchiha.

"Alright. Let's get you back." They say.

"No worries. I can use the Seal that I made to get us back to the Leaf. Pervy Sage taught me the Flying Thunder God Technique." He explains as he takes them to the Seal.

The ANBUS seem rather relieved at that explanation and Naruto takes them back to the Leaf. It was annoying that they followed him to Tsunade's office, but he knew better than to argue with them. They were just following proper protocol.

"Naruto, what did you do this time?" Tsunade demands when she notices a sleeping Uchiha was in his arms.

"It's a really long story. Um can you send them away? It's kinda personal." Naruto stays brightly.

Tsunade sighs and gestures for the ANBU to leave. It didn't take them long to depart. None of them were particularly eager to earn the wrath of their Hokage.

"Alright kid, you better start talking now." She says.

"Well it's a really long story. I went after Suki when she snuck off. We were fighting at her place. She was crazy and took off with the cuffs still on her!" He exclaims.

Tsunade groans. Yes, that was certainly crazy. She would have expected Suki Uchiha to be smarter than that.

"Unfortunately, that wasn't entirely unpredictable. What happened next?" The busty blonde asks.

"Well I got there. Some Sound Ninja tried to fight me. Suki showed up and scared them off though. We started fighting and eventually, I marked her. I guess it's the demonic version of a marriage. She let me do it though. I didn't like force her or anything creepy like that! I'm not Orochimaru!" He insists.

Tsuunade shakes her head. She knew that Naruto didn't Force Mark Suki. That just wasn't who he was. He was stubborn, but he wouldn't actually take away someone's free will like that.

"I believe you. Well take her home. You should be with your Mate now. I know enough about Mating to have a vague idea what is going on. As STUPID as it was of you to Mark her, it can't be reversed. We'll just have to make the best of it." She says with a sigh.

Naruto growls at the Hokage. He didn't like her saying that about his Mating. He barely understood what Mating meant, but his Mating was NOT stupid.

Tsunade blinks. Naruto had just growled at her. He had growled at her in a way that sounded far too similar to an animal for her like. Almost like a fox. That wasn't a good sign.

"It wasn't stupid!" He snaps at her.

"I'm sorry, Naruto. I didn't mean it that way. I just mean that it wasn't a wise decision to attach yourself to someone whose main goal in life is to kill their brother." She reasons.

Naruto sighs. He hated to admit it, but Granny Tsunade had a point there. It was hard to believe that Suki could sleep so peacefully in his arms and be motivated so strongly by hatred.

Well it wasn't just hatred that motivated her. She wanted to protect him too. Suki just went about it in a really messed up way. That was all.

"It's okay. I get it. I'm going to take her back to the Uchiha District now. I don't think that she'll try to run again. Well at least not without me." Naruto says as he carries his "bride" back to her District.

It still gave him the creeps. The place was so dead. It just didn't suit Suki. She might have been angry most of the time, but she was ALIVE. He half expected a ghost to jump out at them or something. Really, the Uchiha District was that spooky.

"We're definitely getting those curtains and flowers." Naruto mutters as he carries her back into her house.

He wasn't really sure which room was Suki's. So he just lays her on the couch and smiles. She hadn't woken up once during their trip. That had to be a sign of trust, right?

 _"She really is beautiful. How didn't I notice that before? Probably because we were always fighting,"_ Naruto thinks to himself.

If Naruto had known what was about to happen, he wouldn't have been so relaxed. Kisame and Itachi were now getting closer and closer to the Leaf Village. A certain Uchiha knew that he was running out of time and he wanted to ensure that Suki was the one to kill him.

That would bring her some sense of peace. That and it would make Suki a hero in the eyes of the Leaf Village. Killing him would give her the opportunity to start over and write a happier chapter in their Clan's history.

There was just one problem. He had to live long enough for Suki to kill him. Right now, he wasn't entirely sure that he was going to manage that.


	8. Chapter 8

Primal

 **Author's Note:** Thanks for the reviews. I hope you all enjoy this chapter.

Naruto talking to Kyuubi in **bold**.

Kyuubi talking to Naruto in _**bold italics**_.

Chapter 8

A few hours later, Naruto was in Suki's house. More specifically, he was in her living room and he was watching her sleep. That and he was laying next to her. Did Naruto mention that she was definitely a cuddler?

 **"Who knew that she liked cuddling this much?"** Naruto muses as he wraps his arms around her more tightly.

 _ **"You're newly Mated. It's only natural that she'd want to be close to you."**_ Kurama reasons.

 **"Yeah. Mated. Married. I can't believe it. I wonder how Kakashi Sensei and Sakura are going to take this? Do you think Suki will want a wedding? I mean she doesn't seem like the type to care much about dressing up and stuff, but it'd make it more official?"** The blonde asks.

Kurama shakes his head in amusement. He doubted an official ceremony was on the Uchiha's mind at the moment. She was obsessed with revenge. Wedding kimonos and cakes would apparently have to wait.

 _ **"She might have some interest in it. It wouldn't be for awhile though. She's quite the determined huntress."**_ The Nine Tails replies.

Naruto frowns. Kurama was right about that. Suki was a huntress and her prey was Itachi Uchiha.

He didn't know much about Itachi. The blonde just knew that he was a powerful ninja. He had to be. How else could he take out an entire Clan without any help? Suki was throwing herself (and by extension him) into a dangerous situation by pursuing him.

"You're crazy. You know that, right?" Naruto whispers to the sleeping Uchiha.

She looked so innocent and relaxed at the moment. Suki was actually smiling in her sleep. In a way, it was hard to believe that this was the same person who he had grown up with.

"I'm not the crazy one. You are." Suki murmurs as her eyes slowly open.

"Well yeah. I guess I must be a little crazy. I Mated you. You alright? Kurama said that you would fall asleep afterwards, but not what would happen after that." Naruto says.

Suki stretches and pauses as she considers the answer to that question. She could feel Naruto's chakra inside her. It was like a slow caress. For some reason, it soothed her. It felt almost like her chakra was being purified in some strange way.

"Yeah. You're crazy for Mating me. I'm not going to argue there. I feel good though. Really good." Suki sighs in contentment.

"Good. Don't do anything stupid like running off again. I'll know. At least, I think that I'll know. The Mating Bond is supposed to be really strong." Naruto warns her.

 _The Mating Bond is supposed to be really strong,_ those words reminded Suki of what Kabuto said. She should be able to feel what Naruto did, share chakra, and he'd be able to sense her. The distance supposedly didn't matter.

Suki concentrates and tries to feel what Naruto was. That's when she felt another presence in her mind. The best way to describe it would be a ball of light. It was a ball of light with feelings though.

"You think that I'm…cute when I'm sleeping?" She asks incredulously.

It was hard to explain exactly. When she "touched" the light, she could sense what it was feeling. There were no words, but somehow she just knew what Naruto was feeling.

"Well yeah, especially when you cuddle up to me like a kitten or something." Naruto says.

Suki feels herself twitch. A kitten?! Did that loser really just compare her to a kitten?! Oh and she so did NOT cuddle.

"Did you really just compare me to a kitten?" The youngest Uchiha demands.

"Yeah. It's accurate. I mean you definitely act like a cat. You're really fast, strong, graceful, and smart. That and you are kinda stuck up like a cat. Definitely a loner. You like to scratch people, but you can be really lovable when you want to be. You were curled up all cutely against me and cuddling. So yeah. You're like a cat." He says proudly.

Suki's pride couldn't take it. While she couldn't argue with the accuracy of the description, it was an insult her pride. She was a ninja. Suki Uchiha wasn't some furry domesticated animal that was usually kept as a pet!

Suki really only had one recourse to avenge her badly damaged pride. She lunges at Naruto and pins him underneath her. She was so not a kitten!

"Whoa! Whoa! You can't be that mad at being called a kitten. There are worse things to be compared to!" He protests and then blinks when he realizes Suki was on top of him.

Nevermind. He was good with this. Naruto liked how soft and warm she was. She might look like she wanted to kill him, but this was nice. He could work with this.

"Naruto, I am a ninja! Ninjas are nothing like cute, furry animals!" She growls at him.

"Well what if I said that you were like a ninja cat?" He asks.

Suki pauses as she considers that suggestion. Well it was as little better. Her pride could live with that.

"Alright. That's somewhat more accurate. Don't you dare say anything like that in public though and are you really getting turned on by this? Do you like being beaten up or something?" She asks him.

She could feel through their bond that Naruto wasn't exactly scared of her at the moment. He LIKED her pouncing on him. Then again, he had a fox demon inside him. Maybe pouncing really was just something that he'd interpret the wrong way.

Damn it. All those years of fighting. Naruto probably subconsciously thought it was some weird form of foreplay!

"What are you so flustered about?" Naruto asks.

He could feel it. In the back of his mind, there was another presence. It was similar to how he could feel Kurama, but this presence wasn't trapped in a cage.

He visualized a panther made up of purple chakra. It was slinking about in his mind. The panther was embarrassed about something? Naruto could feel the emotions, but not the words.

"Nothing. It's nothing." Suki insists, hoping like Hell that the blonde could only pick up on feelings and not on actual thoughts.

Meanwhile Kisame and Itachi made their way into the Leaf Village. They had used a Transformation Jutsu to look like two Leaf Ninjas and were masking their chakra. Itachi knew that it was a risk to head into this village, but he had no other choice.

"You're crazy. Marching off to your death like this." Kisame whispers.

"I know. I'm going to die either way. I owe her this much." Itachi murmurs as they flicker into the Uchiha District.

Kisame looks around. Maybe once upon a time, it had been a beautiful place. Unfortunately, that was no longer the case. It looked like a graveyard.

"I don't think your kid sister has been taking care of the place." He observes.

"She's spent years in the Sound Village. It was likely destroyed during the attack. There's one house standing though. It was ours." Itachi says.

A flood of memories came back to him at the sight of that house. Clearly, it had been reconstructed. It didn't matter. The memories were trigged all the same.

 _"Big brother, you promised that you would train with me today!" Suki called out to him._

 _Itachi smiled wistfully. His foolish little sister was truly adorable. She was too cute for her own good. Sadly, her concerns were those of her age._

 _All Suki wanted was to spend time with him and to become stronger. Obviously, the young girl craved validation from their father. They were the desires of an innocent child. She truly had no idea what was about to happen._

 _"I'm sorry, Suki. I don't have time to train with you. Next time." He said as he poked her forehead._

 _"OWE! You always do that! You always poke my forehead and say next time, Suki!" She grumbled._

 _He smiled wistfully. Even when she was annoyed, she still looked adorable. Itachi knew that if nothing else, he was going to save Suki. Suki's hands were the only ones who were clean in all this. If he had his way, it was going to stay that way._

"Next time, finally came." He whispers to himself.

"What?" Kisame asks and Itachi just shakes his head.

"Nevermind. I'll understand, if you wish to leave. This isn't your battle." Itachi informs his teammate.

Kisame shakes his head. Oh no way. Itachi might have had a death wish, but someone should at least witness his death. That and where Suki was, the blonde Jinchuuriki usually followed.

"I'm coming with you. Suki can kill you and I'll bring Naruto back the Akatsuki. Besides, we're partners. It wouldn't be very sporting of me, not to watch your death." Kisame says with a toothy grin.

"Careful, Kisame. I might begin to think that you actually care." Itachi notes with a chuckle, before launching into another coughing fit.

Damn it. He had put this off for too long. It was likely now or never. He rushes towards the house and enters.

Suki hadn't bothered to lock her home. Why would she? No one came to the Uchiha District anymore. That and a locked door wasn't going to stop any ninja. Such precautions were meaningless. They were done more out of habit than anything else in the Leaf Village.

"Well it seems I was wrong. It looks as though you aren't entirely foolish. You wanted to get a head start on Clan Restoration before challenging me." Itachi says as he lowers the Transformation Jutsu.

Suki's eyes widen and she stares at Itachi in shock. Had Itachi actually waltzed right into the Leaf and into their home?! How dare he?!

She snarls and jumps off Naruto. Her Sharingan activates instantly and she charges at him with a Chidori. His words didn't even register with her. Her fury was too great.

"Your kid sister is rather feisty. You know I'm going to laugh if they have a kid and the kid turns out to be blonde. A blonde Uchiha." Kisame taunts Itachi with a smirk.

Itachic rolls his eyes and grabs onto Suki. He flickers them to the Forest of Death. They would need some privacy to deal with this. He couldn't risk detection. That meant that the Forest of Death was the ideal location for them to end this.

"SUKI!" Naruto calls out in horror as he watches Itachi teleport Suki off.

"Oh don't worry about her kid. Come on. I'll take you to your girlfriend. We can fight where they are. Don't want any of your friends to spoil our fun. Come to the Forest of Death. We'll be waiting." Kisame says as he flickers off.

 **"I'm going to kill them."** Naruto snarls as he heads to the Forest of Death.

 _ **"I'll help. Kidnapping someone's Mate is wrong."**_ Kurama growls in agreement.

Once Suki and Itachi arrive, she looks around in confusion. Itachi had been crazy enough to walk right into the Leaf Village, but he was apparently worried about getting caught. It didn't make any sense.

Her eyes narrow. Something was wrong. It didn't add up. Why would Itachi be so reckless and careful at the same time?

"Why?" She demands as she cradles her Chidori in her hand.

"I told you. I killed them to test my limits. That's the same reason why I am going to kill you now." Her brother replies.

His voice was infuriatingly calm. Itachi's body language was different though. Suki could tell he was trying to hide it and he was doing a good job of it, but he was shaking.

Was he shaking with fear? No. That couldn't be it. A Clan Slayer wouldn't shake because they were scared. There had to be another reason.

"I know that's what you told me. That's why I hate you. That's why I'm going to kill you, but why did you come to the Leaf? Walking into our family's home implies you don't care that you'll be caught. Despite that, you took us someplace else to fight. Someplace where no one will interrupt us. Why?" The youngest Uchiha screams at him.

Itachi smirks. He had always called her his foolish little sister, but she was smart. Suki had always been smart.

While she had been an innocent child at the time of the Massacre and hadn't realized what was going on, things were different now. She was a teenager. Suki was now perceptive enough to realize that something was amiss. She just didn't know what it was yet.

"I want to see which of us is stronger. I can't do that if the entire Leaf Village interferes." He answers simply as he comes charging at her.

Suki manages to dodge, but only just. The raven haired woman frowns. This was wrong. His words were the same and he was attacking her, but something didn't feel right.

"I'm stronger now." She screams at him as she hurls a Chidori straight at him.

Itachi barely managed to evade. His shoulder got singed. Suki wanted to believe that it was because she was simply faster than him, but she doubted that was the entire reason. Itachi should have dodged that easily. His reaction time was slowing.

"SUKI!" She hears someone call out and turns her head towards the source of the voice.

It was Naruto. No! Not now! He couldn't be here! It was too dangerous! She had to get her Mate out of there.

"Naruto! It's fine! I got this! Just go!" She yells at him, but it was too late.

Itachi had slammed her into a tree. That was also off. Itachi generally didn't use brute strength. He relied on speed and Genjutsus. Since when would he use such a primitive display of force. It didn't add up.

"Blondie, you should be more worried about me than your girlfriend!" Kisame says as he swings Samehada at him.

"I'll get to you later, Fishface!" Naruto says as he dodges and rushes over to Suki.

 **"Take some of my chakra. They deserve to be punished for grabbing your Mate."** Kurama says as he gives Naruto some of his chakra.

Naruto could feel his eyes bleeding red and his teeth lengthening. The familiar reddish orange chakra surrounded him, after Kurama lent him some of the Nine Tail's power.

"GET OFF OF HER!" He snarls as she slams into Itachi, knocking him away from Suki.

Itachi grunts in pain. The Nine Tail's chakra was vicious. It felt as if it was going to burn the flesh off of him. He quickly jumps back to avoid further contact.

He could smell the scent of burnt flesh. Itachi knew at that moment that it was his own. It didn't matter though. He had come here to die. He just wanted to ensure that Suki was the one to end his misery.

"Well Suki, it seems as though you have found yourself a White Knight to slay your dragons. Is that how an Uchiha acts? Do they allow others to fight their battles?" He taunts her.

Itachi knew that would infuriate his little sister. He knew that was fighting dirty. He regretted that he had to be cruel to her, but it was the only way. It was the only way that she would ever be able to move on with her life. His death was necessary.

"Naruto, stay out of this. This is MY battle." Suki snaps at her Mate.

Naruto winces. Suki really meant that. He could tell. The panther was practically hissing at him in warning through their link. She might never forgive him, if he killed Itachi instead of her.

"Alright. I'm not going to let him kill you though." He warns her.

"Understood. Oh and loser, duck." Suki tells him as Kisame charges at Naruto once more.

Naruto's eyes widen as he ducks. Damn. That was a close one. Kisame had almost cleaved his head completely off. Jeez.

"Hey! I'm trying to talk to my Mate!" He says as he fires off a Rasengan at his attacker.

Itachi's eyes widen. His MATE?! What? It was one thing for Suki to find a companion. He could even understand her taking a lover, though she was far too young in his mind to do so. After all, it would be smart of her to restore their Clan before their final battle. A Mate was something different though.

That went far deeper than any marriage. The two of them were bound together for life. There was no going back.

"You really are foolish. You MATED him?!" Itachi demands.

"Yes, I did. That's none of your business though! You killed our Clan. Who I chose to restore it with is none of your concern." Suki seethes at him.

"Do you even have the slightest grasp of what you have done?! A Mating is far more meaningful than a marriage! You've linked your life force with his!" Itachi snaps at her.

Suki glares at Itachi. How dare he pretend to care about her?! He was the man who had slaughtered their entire family! A man who had done so because he wanted to test his limits! He had no right to lecture her about her decision to become Naruto's Mate!

"Don't pretend you care about me. What I do with him doesn't concern you. You're about to be dead anyway." She growls at him as she takes out her sword.

She was going to cut him to pieces. One by one. A Chidori to the heart would be too quick. It'd be too easy. Suki wanted him to suffer. She wanted to make him suffer, like he had made her suffer!

"Let's see you back up that claim." Itachi says as he activates his Sharingan.

That's when Suki realizes that there was blood on his chin. Naruto had burned him with the Nine Tail's chakra, but not on his face. He shouldn't be bleeding there.

That could only mean one thing. He had coughed up blood. There was a reason why Itachi hadn't fully managed to dodge her attack. His reflexes were slower than usual because he was sick.

"So that's why you were so reckless. You came here because you knew that you were going to die anyway." Suki says as she slashes at him with her sword.

"Clever. You're right. I am ill. Quite honestly, I should have died long before now. I've been prolonging my life with medication. I've been waiting for this day, just as much as you have." Itachi says as he hurls a punch at her.

Suki blocks the punch with her sword. She smirks in satisfaction when she saw the blade he cut into his hand. Unfortunately, it was still attached. That was a pity. She'd have to fix that.

"Itachi! I can sense a chakra signature nearby! We've got company and it's not just the brats!" Kisame calls out as he faces off with Naruto.

He almost felt guilty about fighting with the kid. Kisame knew that the brat was just trying to protect his girlfriend. It was cute in a way. Of course, that wasn't going to save him. He was still going to take this kid back to the Akatsuki.

They needed to remove that demon. If Itachi really wanted to die, that was his business. He didn't. They needed to get that Tailed Beast!

"Another time, little sister. It seems that someone is intent on interrupting us." He says as he flits over to Kisame and flickers off.

"Did that really just happen?" Naruto asks as he stares at the spot where the two Akatsuki members had just disappeared from.

Suki blinks. Itachi was sick. Itachi had expressed concern for her. None of that made any sense. It almost felt like he wanted her to kill him.

"I think it did. Are you alright, loser?" She asks.

"Yeah. I think so. You?" Naruto asks as he runs over to his Mate's side.

"Yeah. I think so, but something really strange is going on." Suki whispers as she embraces her Mate.

Naruto smiles and wraps his arms around her. He still couldn't believe that they were sorta married. Hugs were nice though. Hugs were very nice. He had no idea how someone as vicious as Suki could be this soft and warm, but he liked it.

 _ **"Kisame said that someone was coming. We likely have an audience."**_ Kurama reminds him.

 **"Yeah. You're right, but I don't see anyone."** Naruto replies.

Suki looks around and tries to locate who else was in the forest. Itachi's partner was a creep, but he was also a highly skilled ninja. If he said someone else was in the forest with them, they probably weren't alone.

That's when she saw it out of the corner of her eye. Well more specifically, she saw him. Danzo. Her eyes narrow.

"What's going on?" Naruto asks Suki when he picks up a strange feeling through their bond.

"I don't know yet, but we're going to find out. Pretend that you don't know something is up." She whispers and Naruto nods as he holds her closer.

At that same moment, Danzo growls as he takes off. Itachi had become very foolish as of late. He had come far too close to the Leaf Village to seek out Suki. That could mean only one thing, he was getting desperate.

"His illness is getting worse. Itachi knows that time is running out. Suki can't be allowed to find out the truth." He mutters to himself.

If Suki discovered the forces behind the Uchiha Massacre, she would turn her rage towards the village. Now that she was Mated with Naruto, the Nine Tail's Vessel would share her rage. Together, they were more than capable of leveling the village to the ground.

"This time, Minato isn't around. He won't be able to stop the Nine Tails." He whispers to himself.

This was terrible news. He was going to have to do something. He just wasn't sure what. The most logical answer would be to have Suki killed before she discovered the truth.

Unfortunately, that would mean killing Naruto. Killing a Jinchuuriki could be a risky business. He would have to find a suitable host for the Nine Tails. That meant that he had some work to do and he had to do it quickly.

"How did it come to this?" He asks.

When Itachi had asked to spare his younger sister, Danzo had granted the request. She was only seven, after all. She was no threat. Eventually, she would grow stronger and kill Itachi. The truth behind the Uchiha Massacre would die with him.

It had seemed like a logical conclusion at the time. Itachi would prevent the Uchiha Clan from successfully mounting a Coup. He could grant Itachi his final request. Suki would kill him and she'd become a hero. No one would ever have to know the truth.

"It would have worked out so perfectly, but she had to go and ruin it by becoming Naruto's Mate. Damn that boy." He growls in disgust.


	9. Chapter 9

Primal

 **Author's Note:** Thanks for the reviews. I hope you all enjoy this chapter.

Naruto talking to Kyuubi in **bold**.

Kyuubi talking to Naruto in _**bold italics**_.

Chapter 9

Suki sighs and returns Naruto's embrace for a few minutes. It was tempting to just forget all of it. Itachi was clearly sick. Her brother could easily die of his illness without her lifting a finger.

She could just stay with her Mate and let nature take its course. He was likely going to die a painful death. Did it really matter if she killed him or if a disease finally delivered justice?

 _ **"She's going to want to go after Danzo. There's no telling where Itachi and Kisame went. She knows where Danzo went though."**_ Kurama tells him.

 **"Should we let her? Better Danzo than Itachi, right?"** Naruto asks.

Danzo was old. He was also a member of the Leaf Village. He wasn't their enemy, was he? At the very least, he doubted that Danzo was as formidable as Itachi was on the battlefield. Maybe getting answers out of him was the safer choice.

"I don't like waiting, but it's the smarter option. An hour or so. We need him to think that we didn't notice him. That will get him to lower his guard." Suki whispers as rests her head on his shoulder.

 _ **"Don't underestimate that human. He may be old, but Danzo is still a formidable warrior in his own right. That and he knows about every single skeleton in this village's closet. There are things about the Leaf that neither of you know. Things that people shouldn't know."**_ Kurama warns him.

Naruto blinks at this response. He'd never heard Kyuubi talk that way before. Whatever Danzo knew, it was bad. Bad enough that even the Nine Tailed Fox wasn't particularly enthusiastic about discussing the matter.

"Do you really think that he knows something?" Naruto asks.

"I know that he knows something. The odds that he just happened upon the forest during that confrontation are low. If you want to go home or wait here, you can. I'm going to get some answers though." Suki says.

"Suki, I'm going with you. I'm not going to let you face this alone. I don't really know what this is yet, but you're my wife. That means something!" He says.

Suki smiles. She knew that it had probably been a foolish idea to become his Mate before Itachi was dead, but this was part of the reason. Naruto cared and he never gave up on her.

"I'll take you with me. If I don't, you'll follow me anyway." Suki says slyly.

"That's right!" Naruto says proudly and the youngest Uchiha shakes her head in amusement.

"This has to be the strangest Honeymoon ever." She says with a sigh.

Naruto blinks. She was right. They were technically on their Honeymoon. That was okay though. They were already married and hadn't even been on their first date. Their relationship was clearly never going to be a normal one.

"Yeah. Well since when have either of us ever worried about being normal? Besides, it wasn't that bad. I found out something very important." He says with a mischievous grin.

"And what did you find out?" Suki asks curiously.

"That you really like to cuddle." Naruto replies proudly and Suki just rolls her eyes.

Only Naruto could make her want to laugh and punch him at the same time. It was a gift really. Unfortunately, that wasn't enough to solve the Danzo Situation.

Suki wasn't sure what Danzo knew about Itachi, but she knew one thing. His hands weren't clean. There was a reason why he had been watching them. The elderly ninja knew more than he was letting on.

"I've clearly hit you one too many times. Sorry. I must have given you mild brain damage. Uchihas don't cuddle." She scoffs at the very suggestion.

"Well I wasn't saying that your whole family did it. Just that you did." The blonde clarifies.

"You really are such a loser. You're imagining things." Suki insists.

Naruto grins again. Ah ha! He had finally fond what really annoyed her. He was going to tease her about this without mercy.

"I'm not imagining things. If I'm a loser, what's that make you? You Mated me." He points out.

Suki blinks. She didn't really have a good comeback to that one. Damn it. She'd have to think of something quickly.

"It makes me foolish and in love. Now, let's go. We need to find a way to get passed his guards." She murmurs.

"I love you too. Well we could try Transformation Jutsus. I could turn into Kakashi and you could take Granny Tsunade. They might let us in, if they thought we were them." Naruto suggests.

"That's a good idea, but Transformation Jutsus aren't your strong suit." Suki says.

She remembered him struggling with them at the Academy. To put it mildly, he was about as good at Transformation Jutsu as Kakashi was at being on time. Danzo's guards would see straight through it.

"The Mating Bond is supposed to link our chakra. Maybe that can help." He suggests.

Suki tilts her head to the side as she considers Naruto's point. It might be possible. She wasn't entirely certain that it would work, but it couldn't hurt to try.

"Alright. Transform into Kakashi. I'll see if I can help." She instructs and Naruto does exactly that.

 _ **"The results of this experiment should be very interesting."**_ Kurama muses.

 **"Hey! Is this going to work? Can we really help each other out like this?"** Naruto asks.

The raven haired ninja bites her lower lip as she attempts to reach out to Naruto with her chakra. Visualizing him in her mind was easy. He was a golden ball of light. It was the sharpening of his chakra that was going to be tricky.

 _ **"I'm not certain. Mostly Mates just transfer each other chakra. I've never really seen them try to influence how the chakra was being used before."**_ The Nine Tails answers honestly.

 **"Oh that's really reassuring!"** Naruto snaps at him.

Her own chakra had taken the form of a purple panther. Damn it. Naruto was really never going to let her live that down. If she could see it, then he probably could as well. That was just embarrassing.

"Alright, Naruto. I'm going to try. I'm not sure what's going to happen. This might be painful, do nothing, or actually work. Are you ready?" She asks.

"I'm ready!" He replies with far more optimism than he actually felt.

Kurama didn't even know what was going to happen. This might not end well. Hopefully, he was right and that this wasn't going to backfire on them in a big way.

"Then let's get started.'" The Uchiha woman whispers as she brushes her chakra against his, trying to even out the erratic flow.

Suki smiles to herself. Naruto really as her Sun. He was all power and warmth, but it was an untamed power. His chakra might as well have actually been solar flares. Despite that though, the blonde's chakra didn't hurt her as she continues her task.

The young ninja watches in astonishment as Naruto's transformation became a perfect replica as Kakashi. Naruto had a lot more chakra than her (with or without Kurama) and she had more control. The Mating apparently could balance those facts out.

"It worked! If I didn't know any better, I would think you Kakashi. The Transformation will only get you so far though. You have to act like Kakashi." She reminds him.

"Yeah. I know. I can do it. Time for you to become Granny Tsunade!" He says cheerfully.

"You definitely can't call her Granny Tsunade in front of Danzo or his guards." Suki says with a sigh as she performs the Jutsu.

It felt odd. She was now a blonde and wearing a drastically different wardrobe. She tries to shake off the surreal feeling that always accompanied Transformation Jutsus for her and gestures for Naruto to follow her.

"Yeah. I got it! I got lost on the road of life." Her Mate says, imitating their Sensei.

"That's a bit better." Suki concedes and with that, the two of them take off.

Meanwhile Itachi and Kisame had made it out of the Leaf safely. He couldn't believe that he had been so foolish. Now, Suki knew that he was dead.

"She knows that you have one foot in the grave now. What are the odds that she's just going to let time finish you off?" Kisame asks casually.

Itachi's eyes narrow. Kisame's tone might have been casual, but he knew the truth. His partner was hoping that he would stop "playing the part of the martyr," as he called it.

That wasn't going to happen. He wasn't a martyr. A martyr died for wh at they believed in. He was just atoning for his sins in some small way. His death might bring Suki peace.

"That's highly unlikely. My foolish little sister has dedicated over half of her life to killing me. I doubt very much that she would let a disease be the thing that kills me. She wants to avenge our Clan too much to allow such a thing to happen." The Uchiha answers him.

He owed her that much. Itachi knew that Kisame thought he was crazy and maybe he was, but he wasn't going to change his mind. This was the only way.

"I don't know. Maybe she's smarter than you give her credit for. After all, she's "Mated" to someone now. What the Hell does that even mean anyway?" Kisame demands.

"The Tail Beasts' hosts are a little different than most people. While Jinchuuriki can marry and do, they also have another option available to them. It's called Mating. When they bite their intended, their chakra is injected into them. It creates a bond. A powerful one." Itachi says.

Kisame raises an eyebrow. That sounded pretty freaky. Still he couldn't lie. Itachi had aroused his curiosity and he had to know more.

"And what does this bond do?" He asks.

"It links their chakra. They can feel with the other feels and even share chakra. I'm certain there are other aspects to it. That's the general gist. Of course, there is a catch. Their life force is linked. If one dies, the other will die or likely go insane." The other Akatsuki member explains.

This causes his partner's eyebrow to raise even further. He couldn't for the life of him imagine himself linking himself to another person in such an intimate way. While the chakra sharing did seem rather interesting, the costs were too high in his mind.

"Well I see why you were so upset earlier. Your sister is basically married. Is that even legal?" He asks and Itachi snorts in amusement.

"In the Leaf Village, anyone can marry when they become a Chunin. Your age is irrelevant. That and it's not as if the legality of the matter is an issue here. Demons don't care about things like age. They Marked each other. It can't be undone now. My sister is very foolish." He says with a heavy sigh.

"It's a shame that you're heading off to your death so eagerly. If you were actually planning on sticking around for awhile, I'd make you a bet." Kisame says.

Itachi raises an eyebrow. Kisame was not the most subtle man that he had ever met. Despite that, he found himself mildly amused by the shark lover's antics.

"And what bet would that be?" He asks.

"I bet you that they have a blonde kid." The sharp toothed man says with a grin.

Itachi tries his best not to openly gape at his partner. Of all the foolish things that the other man could have said, that was likely the one that he had least expected.

"Don't be foolish." He mutters.

"You're right. I guess it is a bit silly to bet over things like hair color, but one has to pass the time somehow." The other Akatsuki Member reasons

"There is no such thing as a blonde Uchiha. There never has been and there never will be. It's unfortunate that I will likely die before I'm proven right. Otherwise, I would take that bet." Itachi reasons and Kisame just laughs.

Back in the Leaf Village, Danzo breathes a sigh of relief. It looked like Suki and Naruto hadn't noticed him. Now that he was safely back in his office, he could plan.

"I can't believe that she Mated with him." He mutters.

That complicated things. If Suki found out the truth, she'd go into a rage. Her Mate would follow suit. The village wouldn't stand a chance.

"I'll have to find a way to kill them both. That or Itachi has to die quickly." He says with a sigh.

He did want to honor Itachi's final wish. The eldest living Uchiha wanted Suki to "avenge" their Clan. Danzo had been fine with granting Itachi that much. It didn't matter to him how Itachi died.

What was important is that his secrets would die with him. The rest of the Leaf Village could never be allowed to know the truth. That would rock the very foundations of their village. Such a thing, must never come to pass.

"Truly, it seemed like such a small concession at the time." He mutters.

Suki had only been an innocent child when the Massacre happened. Obviously, she hadn't been involved in the coup. All Itachi wanted to prevent a war was for his baby sister to live and eventually kill him.

Who was he to deny him that very reasonable request? For years, the secrets of the Massacre had stayed buried. One way or another, he was determined to ensure that they would stay that way.

"Suki has spent years in the Sound. She's likely immune to poisons. The Nine Tails would likely burn off anything that I gave to Naruto. Poison won't work." He murmurs to himself.

No. This situation called for more a more direct approach. He had the Sharingans on his arms. There was a chance that he could beat them both, if it was a quick fight.

"Suki doesn't have the Nine Tails. She'll likely be somewhat easier to kill. If I can kill her, that might kill him as well. The bond between Mates is powerful. That's a gamble though. If he survives, he'd fly into a rage and slaughter me." He growls.

That wouldn't work. It would have to be a simultaneous death or at least he would have to find a way to restrain Naruto. That was easier said than done.

At that same moment, "Tsunade and Kakashi" arrive at Danzo's home. The guards looked rather confused. What was the Lady Hokage and CopyCat Ninja doing at Danzo's residence at this hour?

"Lady Hokage, Kakashi. What are you doing here?" One of the ROOT Members asks.

It was only years of training to suppress human emotion that kept his confusion out of his voice. Fortunately, Danzo had trained him well. It looked like that training was going to pay dividends now.

"We need to speak to Danzo immediately." Tsunade says.

"My Lady, I'm afraid that Lord Danzo is very busy right now." He replies.

"Are you questioning my authority? I am the Hokage of this village. Danzo is my subordinate. I don't care what he is doing. I need to speak with him now." She snaps at him.

Naruto blinks. He was impressed. Damn. Suki was a really good actress. He could easily pretend that she really was Granny Tsunade.

 _ **"There are few things more attractive than a skilled huntress. It seems that they are buying the act."**_ Kurama says.

 **"Good. I really didn't want to have to blow this place up to get to him. We need answers and to get them, he has to be in one piece."** Naruto replies.

It was at that moment, that Naruto decides he should say something. He needed to say something that would make them more eager to get their boss. He had just the thing in mind.

"Tell Danzo that it concerns the Akatsuki." Kakashi says.

That seemed do the trick. One of the guards rushes into Danzo's Office. He didn't even bother to knock.

"I see that he doesn't bother to lock his doors." Naruto says to Suki.

"There's no point in a ninja village. That and he has a large group of elite guards protecting him." She reasons.

"Lady Hokage and Kakashi, you realize that we can hear you, correct?" One of the guards asks.

Suki rolls her eyes. The last thing that she was in the mood for was to deal with a sassy guard. Thank goodness that he thought she was Hokage.

"And you realize that as your Hokage, I do not care?" Tsunade growls at him.

The ROOT Member had had nearly all of his emotions beaten out of him. The training regime that Danzo put his men and women through was intense. It was actually rather barbaric, but no one could argue with the results.

Well that was until now. The guard knew at that moment, that the Hokage was more than willing to kill him. He could see it in her eyes and that actually frightened him.

"Lord Danzo, Lady Tsunade and Kakashi are here to speak with you! Kakashi says that it's something about the Akatsuki and the Lady Hokage is rather insistent on the matter." The ROOT Member tells him.

"Very well. Send them in and see to it that we are not disturbed." Danzo orders him.

As soon as those words left his mouth, the ninja heads off to do as his master commanded. He knew better than to keep Lord Danzo waiting. Very bad things happened when you did that. He shudders at a few rather unpleasant memories involving kunais and fire.

"Lord Danzo will see you now." He says.

"Thank you." Tsunade responds and she drags Kakashi off behind her.

The ROOT Members look at the two ninjas with slight confusion. Since when did Tsunade treat Kakashi like her personal rag doll? The Lady Hokage must be deeply worried about the Akatsuki. There really was no other logical explanation.

"Those are rather convincing Transformation Jutsus. Whose idea was it?" Danzo asks as he glances up at the two of them.

"Damn it. What gave us away?" Naruto demands.

"I just escaped from the Forest of Death, scarcely an hour ago. The odds of Kakashi and Tsunade knowing what happened already and coming to see me so quickly are rather low. I presume that it was Suki's idea then." He mutters.

"Actually, it was Naruto's idea. That's besides the point though. We want answers. I know you have them. I'm not stupid enough to believe that you just happened to be there when we were confronting Itachi and Kisame." She seethes at him.

Danzo smirks. Well she did have a bit of Itachi in her after all. She had his intelligence, but not his patience. That was unfortunately likely going to be the cause of her death.

She had rushed into a Mating with a demon. That almost never ended well. He felt a stab of pity for her. He wasn't completely heartless. None of this was really either of their fault.

"I have answers. None that you will like though. It would be wise for the two of you to just let the dead rest in peace. There's no reason to peel open old wounds. Nothing good will come of it." He says.

"That's not for you to decide!" Naruto snarls at him.

"You two are young and in love. I know a Marking when I see one. If you wish to throw your lives away by seeking these answers, that is entirely up to you. I would urge you not to be so foolish though." He says.

 _ **"Your Mate is getting ready to grab him and to flicker off. You should grab onto her."**_ Kurama warns Naruto.

It was a good thing that the Fox Demon warned Naruto about Suki's plans. If he hadn't, Naruto probably would have been left behind. Before he really realized what was happening, Suki had teleported them a few miles away from the Leaf Village. They were now in some kind of meadow.

"Itachi always did call me his foolish little sister. I guess the label was accurate, after all. You are going to tell us the truth and tell us now or I will kill you." She hisses at him.

 **"Yeah. She's definitely got a Snake Contract. She even hisses like one."** Naruto observes.

Danzo's eyes narrow. This wasn't how it was supposed to happen. Sadly, he supposed there was nothing that he could do to advert the looming disaster.

Well there was nothing that he could do except for fight. That's when he began undoing his bandages. He was going to need his Sharingans to defeat the pair of them.

"I didn't want it to have to come to this. I truly didn't. Itachi is a great ninja. He understands that the good of the many, outweighs the good of the few. Perhaps, one day you'll both be able to understand that. It's not really fair to expect children to understand the truth." He says.

 _ **"Sharingans! Ten of them!"**_ Kurama observes.

Naruto's eyes widen in horror and Suki's widen in fury. He had never seen anyone look so angry before. The blonde could also feel her rage through their Bond. It was almost paralyzing.

"Grave robber!" She snarls at him and charges at Danzo in a righteous fury.

"It doesn't matter how I acquired the Sharingans. The only thing that matters is that I did. I'm sorry that it had to come to this, but I will protect the village. I won't allow you and your pet demon to destroy it!" Danzo says as he dodges.

What he didn't count on was Naruto joining the fray. He wasn't just facing one opponent. He was facing two. (Three if you counted the Nine Tails as being a separate entity from Naruto.)

"You aren't getting away that easily." Suki growls at him as she unsheathes her sword.

Maybe he would feel more talkative, after she sliced off a few limbs. Starting with that arm of Sharingans. That was blasphemy. He had ten eyes on his left arm.

That meant that at a minimum, he had the eyes of five Uchihas on him. Perhaps as many as ten. It was a grave robbery and Suki wasn't going to let him live after defiling her family's corpses in such a fashion.

"Pity. It seems that you are both truly in a hurry to die. Very well. BAKU!" He calls out and a large creature appears.

"What the Hell is that?" Naruto asks.

"I don't know." Suki whispers as she assumes a defensive stance and her Mate does the same.

Danzo wanted a fight. That was fine with Suki. She was going to make him suffer for wearing the eyes of her family as if they were bracelets! He would die slowly and screaming!


	10. Chapter 10

Primal

 **Author's Note:** Thanks for the reviews. I hope you all enjoy this chapter.

Naruto talking to Kyuubi in **bold**.

Kyuubi talking to Naruto in _**bold italics**_.

 **Chapter Notation:** You may notice some changes to various characters' abilities. Sometimes they will gain one that they didn't necessarily have or they will be less apt at a particular jutsu. When such modifications are made, it's generally for the sake of the plot. **Naruto will also get his "revenge" in the next chapter.**

Chapter 10

"It's a shame really. After everything, you're going to throw away your own life." Danzo says.

"Naruto, get back! That thing is sucking everything in front of it!" Suki screams out in warning.

Indeed, the fearsome creature was doing exactly that. The tapir-like creature was somehow sucking everything into its mouth that was within reach. Naruto had never seen anything like it.

"This is Baku. He's my Summon. As you can see, he has a rather useful ability." The elderly ninja informs them with a cold smirk.

It had to be done. Suki and Naruto had to die, if the Leaf was going to continue to thrive. The truth must never get out.

Unlike the Third Hokage, Danzo was willing to do whatever was necessary to protect the village. It didn't matter how unpleasant it might be. The end justified the means.

 _ **"A creature like that is vulnerable to fire. Baku will consume everything, including flames."**_ Kurama says.

"SUKI! Bell Test Surprise it!" Naruto calls out to his Mate desperately, hoping that she would understand what he was saying.

Suki smirks. She knew exactly what Naruto meant by that. It had been awhile, but she remembered that day with perfect clarity.

During their Bell Test, Kakashi had been surprised by her usage of a Fire Jutsu. He didn't think that Genins had enough chakra to use that attack. Naruto was right. A Summon like Baku would be vulnerable to fire.

"FIREBALL JUTSU: PHOENIX FLOWER STYLE!" She yells as she hurls a mighty blaze at the strange creature.

Kurama was proven right. The tapir-like Summon was soon howling in pain. Suki felt a flash of pity for the beast. It wasn't Baku's fault that he had Danzo for a Master.

She quickly squashes that down though. Now was not the time to get sentimental. Now was the time to beat some answers out of the elderly ninja.

"Clever, but not clever enough. Why don't the two of you go back to the Uchiha District and forget all about this? You'd be much happier." Danzo inquires, using Shisui's technique in an attempt to influence their thoughts.

 **"Maybe, he's right. Itachi is going to die anyway."** Naruto says to Kurama.

For a moment, Suki's resolve falters. Itachi was going to die soon. She didn't really need to lift a finger for it to happen. All she had to do was wait.

That's when she saw the Sharingans on his arms again. No. She couldn't do that. Whether or not Itachi died a natural death, Danzo also needed to be punished. He had defiled the corpses of her family. He was going to pay.

"CHIDORI!" She snarls as she charges at him.

"You're nothing like your brother. You allow your anger to rule you and that will be what ends you." Danzo says as he exhales a Wind Jutsu.

The Jutsu was designed to slash like blades. That's exactly what it did. It slashed into the Uchiha woman's side, causing her to cry out in pain and the scent of blood to fill the air.

"SUKI!" Naruto calls out in horror as he races over to defend his Mate.

He could feel his teeth lengthening and his eyes bleeding red. The blonde was soon surrounded by the ominous reddish-orange chakra, but he didn't care at the moment. He had to help her.

"RASENGAN!" He growls as he slams his Rasengan into Danzo's chest.

Something strange happened though. The attack passed through Danzo as if he was nothing more than a ghost. Naruto blinks and looks around, once the elderly ninja disappeared.

"Suki, are you alright?" He asks.

"That bastard must have used a Binding Seal on me. I can't move the lower half of my body." The raven haired ninja growls.

 **"Kurama! Can you do anything about that?"** Naruto demands in a panicked voice.

 **"I believe that I can burn through it, but I don't like the fact that Danzo disappeared. You should make some clones while I undo his Jutsu. We're too vulnerable to attack."** The Nine Tails says.

Naruto nods as he made dozens of clones. Danzo was likely going to attack again and this way, they'd have some warning. Ideally, a few minutes. Though Naruto wasn't picky. Seconds could mean the difference between life or death in a battle like this.

"It's okay. I'm going to have Kurama burn through the Binding Seal." Naruto says as he places his hands on Suki's side and Kurama's chakra flows over the Seal.

Suki winces as the demon's chakra literally burns through the Seal. Her Clan might have been a Fire Clan, but that didn't mean she was immune to feeling that accompanied burns. She grits her teeth and looks around for Danzo.

She highly doubted that he just ran off. That was too easy. Besides, he was hiding something. Something important enough that he thought it was worth killing them over. He knew that they would come after him, even if he escaped.

"Damn him." Danzo mutters as he rematerializes a several yards away.

Thankfully, it didn't look like any of the kid's clones had noticed yet. That was a fact that he was going to use to his advantage. Sadly, by the time he fought through the clones, Suki would likely have full use of her body again.

This would have been much easier, if he was facing one opponent. Mates were the worst opponents. They moved as one and could even share as chakra.

"Those are implants. He might not be able to use them as easily as an Uchiha." Suki murmurs as she slowly rises to her feet and narrows her eyes.

"Yeah. Maybe, but he just turned into a ghost!" Naruto says.

"He didn't turn into a ghost. He changed forms somehow. I'm not sure how. Maybe he used a Jutsu to make his density lower or something." Suki says uncertainly.

Danzo smirks. That wasn't a bad guess. She was impulsive, but she was intelligent. Unfortunately, that was the precise reason why he wasn't going to let her live. Once she found out the truth, her Mate would likely level the village to the ground.

"Close, but not quite! BAKU! Deal with those clones!" Danzo says as the Summon charges at the Mates and he fires off several wind bullets.

His wind techniques could be used to slash like knives or like bullets. He might not get all of the clones, but he could cut throw them and Baku might finish the rest of the job.

"Damn it!" Naruto says as he sees another clone disappear in a puff of smoke after being shot.

Danzo smirks as his Summon charges at Suki and sends the woman flying hundreds of feet into the air once he smashes into her. If she landed, the impact would crush her to death.

"GARUDA!" She snarls as she summons her hawk and lands on its back.

"Another Summon?" He asks himself in a stunned voice.

He knew about Aoda, but Garuda he hadn't foreseen. Perhaps he should have expected it. She was Itachi's sister. It was only natural that she would have a few tricks up her sleeve. That and Orochimaru had taught her. It only made sense that the Sannin would want her to have as many tricks up her sleeve as possible. (After all, he needed his vessel to still be alive during the transfer.)

"That's the least of your problems!" Naruto says as he slams his fist into Danzo's face.

His fist that held a Rasengan inside it. If it wasn't for his Izanagi, that might have killed him. He glares at the younger ninja in annoyance.

Danzo knew that he had approximately eight or nine minutes of near invincibility, before his Sharingans all closed. The Jutsu was his only hope of survival. He had to kill them both and quickly.

"SUKI, ARE YOU OKAY?!" Naruto calls out.

"I'm fine. Don't kill him. We need answers." Suki says as she guides Garuda down and jumps back onto the ground.

Danzo snorts in amusement. She was such a brat. Suki might have Itachi's intelligence, but she was far too impulsive. Just like her Mate.

"Arrogant brats. You don't honestly think that you can kill me, do you?" Danzo asks with a smirk.

"I have an ancient fox demon and a Mate with a Sharingan that says we can. Oh and by the way, she didn't have to rob graves to get hers!" Naruto says as he flickers behind Danzo and tries to snap his neck.

Danzo smirks as Baku charges at Naruto from behind and he dissolves once again. He rematerializes a hundred feet away and Suki slams her sword into Baku's eye in an effort to protect Naruto.

"Love makes people so foolish." He says as he shakes his head in disgust.

That causes Baku to launch into a rage. Suki had gotten what she wanted though. The beast was now focused completely on her and Naruto was safe though.

"FIREBALL JUTSU: PHONEIX FLOWER STYLE!" She snarls at Danzo's Summon and the creature gets a mouthful of the mighty blaze.

"I think that it's time we introduced this jerk to some more Summons." Naruto says as he calls forth Gamabunta.

Suki raises an eyebrow. A big toad, really? Whatever. The fact that it was less than pretty, didn't mean much. She just wasn't sure what toad was going to do.

"Alright! Aoda!" She shouts as she summons a massive snake.

Danzo's curses under his breath. Three summons against one wasn't a very fair fight. In addition to that, he was going up against someone who had the ability to create hundreds of clones at once.

"There's no choice. I have to end this quickly." He says as he launches a flurry of wind blades and bullets at the Summons and their masters.

Suki dodges and lands on top of the toad's head. Thankfully, Naruto was already there. They could speak without Danzo overhearing her.

"Only seven of his Sharingans are open now." She whispers.

"DAMN IT, KID! Do I look like I want to play dodge the kunai with a ninja who has one foot in the grave?!" Gamabunta demands.

"Sorry! Sorry! Come on! That creep is wearing ten Sharingans. He's a grave robber!" Naruto says, choosing to respond to his anxious Summon first.

Aoda needed no such prompting. He slams his mighty tail into Danzo, sending him smashing back into a tree. Unfortunately, the ninja dissolves once more and slashes at the serpent with a sword.

"AODA!" Suki cries out as Garuda flies to the serpent's side and slashes at Danzo with his talons.

"A grave robber, eh? Well I don't care for that sort at all. That's just defiling the dead." Gamabunta says as he charges at their enemy, deciding to join the fray on "principle."

"What were you saying about the Sharingans?" Naruto asks Suki as he charges up his Rasengan.

Suki sighs and prepares another Chidori. She had a theory, but she wasn't sure it was going to work. It was their best chance of taking him alive though.

"He had ten opened in the beginning. None of the kills that we landed against him, hit his eyes. There's no reason for him to close them. Unless he doesn't have enough chakra to keep them open. Maybe the Sharingans are somehow tied to his ability to dematerialize." She replies.

With that being said, Suki jumps off of the toad and slams into Danzo. She drives a Chidori straight through his heart and he disappears. When he reappeared, he was behind Suki.

"You really do have a death wish, don't you?" He whispers.

"Funny, I was about to ask you the same thing." Suki whispers to him.

At that moment, Naruto punches Danzo through the back with his Rasengan. The elderly ninja disperses once more. The blonde's hand was now hitting air and nothing else.

Suki smirks when Danzo reappears a few feet away. Genjutsu might not be her specialty, but she could manage this. She casts a minor Genjutsu to make one of his eyes "reopen" when he wasn't looking.

"Naruto, come at him fast and hard. Try not to get killed. If you die, I'll bring you back and kill you myself!" She warns him as she flits towards Danzo with her sword swinging.

 _ **"That's Uchiha for, "I love you." Just so you know."**_ Kurama informs Naruto.

 **"Yeah. I got that!"** Naruto says as he sends as he forms more clones and charges at Danzo from all sides.

Suki blinks when Danzo counters with a sword of his old. He was strong for a man who had to be over seventy years old. She hadn't expected that. It was one thing for your chakra to still be powerful, it was another for your physical form not to have weakened with age.

"Surprised? Young people are so arrogant. You always think that you know better than your elders. It's not your fault. I was once just as foolish as you. Too bad that you'll never live long enough to achieve the wisdom that comes with age." He says as the two

"And old people spend too much time lecturing and not enough listening!" Naruto seethes at him as he unleashes one of the chakra tails at him.

Danzo howls in pain as he once again vanishes. Suki looks around on high alert. There was no way to tell where he was going to reappear.

"Time for you to die!" Danzo says shoves a kunai through Naruto's stomach, causing both Mates to scream in agony.

Suki was furious. The Uchiha woman fights through the pain and launches a vicious full frontal assault on Danzo. She smirks as she deliver each blow. The ninja was aiming for spots that would send him into cardiac arrest. Danzo would appear and reappear. Finally, he was out of Sharingans.

"This has been amusing, but now it's time for you both to die! Your Mate doesn't have very long as is. Don't worry. You'll die together. Isn't that romantic?" He inquires as he sends Baku at them.

Gamabunta, Garuda, and even Aoda block the tapir-like being. Suki glares hatefully at Danzo and goes flying at him. This time, he wouldn't get away.

"Not this time." She hisses as she smashes a kunai into his right shoulder, pinning him to a tree.

"What the? Why did that hit go through?" He asks in horror.

"You were so busy fighting us, that you didn't notice. I cast a minor Genjutsu on you. I made one of your closed eyes, look open. Now start talking." She demands as she glances back at Naruto.

He would be alright. Naruto had to. He had Kurama. The blonde healed faster than a normal person. As long as Danzo didn't hit a vital organ, she was confident that somehow her lovable idiot would pull through.

"You're foolish. I'd rather die than betray my village." He hisses at her.

"That can be arranged." Suki informs him as she slices off his arm with all the Sharingans.

"AHHH!" He snarls in pain and winces as blood comes pouring out of the wound.

Unbeknownst to the combatants, they were being watched. Itachi and Kisame were watching the fight. The elder Uchiha's eyes narrow.

"Damn it. He's going to tell her." He says as he pulls a vial out of his Akatsuki cloak.

"What are you planning on doing?" Kisame asks warily.

"Poisoning him. He'll bleed to death, if he doesn't tell her what she wants to know. Well eventually. I can't take that chance though." Itachi says as he transforms into a crow and carries the vial off in his beak.

Kisame watches as Itachi flies towards Danzo and his sister. He recognized that poison. It was one of Sasori's. It meant an instant death

Itachi flies straight at Danzo and smashes the vial against his face. The man's eyes lull to the back of his head and he foams at the moan as his body spasms wildly. While Suki and Naruto were staring in shock, he flies off.

"What the?!" Suki whispers in horror as she watches Danzo's body convulse and eventually go lifeless.

That was until his final Seal was activated. Her eyes widen as she saw the seals begin to leave his body and she flickers back to her Mate's side, carrying Danzo's arm with her. A sphere forms around Danzo, almost as soon as she left him behind.

"He did it to prevent anyone from taking his body. He knew the Sharingans were too valuable to risk falling into the wrong hands." She whispers.

Kisame sighs and Flickers off. He knew where Itachi was going. So it didn't matter that his partner had taken off with him.

"Makes sense. Um Suki, what are you planning to do with that arm?!" Naruto asks.

"I'm going to see if any of them have the Mangekyo Sharingn. If I transplant those eyes into my own, that will give me the Eternal Mangekyo Sharingan." She says.

Naruto blinks. Wait. Did she just say TRANSPLANT?! She was going to cut out her eyes and replace them?!

"Are you crazy?! You aren't going to cut out your eyes!" He snaps at her.

"I might be a little crazy, but I know what I'm doing. People survive eye transplants Naruto. Kakashi's Sharingan isn't natural. He's not an Uchiha." She points out.

The blonde pauses as he considers her words. Suki was right, but he still didn't like it. There was no way in Hell that he was going to allow her to cut out her eyes!

"Yeah. I guess, but no! We're Mates now. It's way too dangerous. Besides, who do you think is going to perform the transplant? You aren't trusted in the village right now. Granny Tsunade isn't going to do it and I don't know anything about surgery!" Naruto exclaims.

"Loser, I got this. I'll just have Kabuto do it." Suki says as if it was the most natural thing in the world.

"What?! No way! I'm not letting Four Eyes go anywhere near your eyes!" The blonde shouts at her.

Suki sighs and offers Naruto a wistful smile. She appreciated that he cared. She really did, but sometimes his overprotective nature could be really inconvenient.

"You're right. It would be pretty reckless to let Kabuto perform the transfer." Suki admits.

"That's right!" Naruto says and Suki nods in agreement.

"And I don't mean to worry you. Maybe we can talk to Tsunade. Itachi is a risk to the entire village, after all. She might agree too perform it." Suki whispers as she brushes her lips against Naruto's.

"Yeah. Exactly." The other ninja says as he kisses her.

Suki smiles and returns the kiss. For once, it wasn't an accident. Instead of feeling embarrassed or angry, it evoked a far different feeling.

His kiss tasted like honey and oranges. The oranges kept the honey from being too sweet. It was like kissing the Sun. All warmth and affection.

 _ **"Finally. I thought that the two of you were going to be Danzo's age before she went into heat."**_ Kurama observes.

Naruto wasn't paying any attention though. He pulls Suki closer to him and deepens the kiss. Her kisses tasted like dark chocolate and red wine. The blonde knew what red wine tasted like because Jirayia had once had him try some.

Her lips were soft and warm. Actually, that's what Suki always felt like. On the rare day, he got to touch her without his Mate trying to hit him anyway. At the moment, he forgot everything else.

"I love you. I know that I haven't acted like it for most of the time that we have known each other, but I do." Suki whispers when she breaks the kiss.

"It's alright. Kurama says that death threats are just the Uchiha version of, _**"I love you."**_ It's kind of weird, but I think that I'm starting to get it." Naruto says.

"Good. I'm sorry, Naruto. I'm really sorry, but I have to do this. I'll be back soon." Suki says as she aims a blow to the back of his head, knocking him unconscious.

She sighs as she catches him in her arms. Suki hated tricking him like that, but she needed that eye transplant. The longer that she waited, the less likely it was going to be effective. She could preserve the arm and eyes with Jutsus long enough to get to the Sound, but not much longer.

"Shadow Clone Jutsu." She says as she forms a clone.

"Take him back to the Uchiha District. Restrain him. I'll be back shortly. Try to keep him calm." Suki tells her clone.

It was the strangest feeling. She was looking at herself. She was looking at herself who was returning her gaze with an incredulous look.

"I'll take him back to the District, but you know how Naruto is. It's impossible to keep him calm." The clone replies.

"Yeah. I know. I have to go though." Suki says as she takes off with the arm.

The sooner that she got the transplant, the sooner she'd find out the truth about Itachi. She recognized that bird. Itachi had been the one who had delivered the death blow to Danzo.

What she didn't know was why. Clearly, she was onto something though. Itachi wouldn't have killed Danzo, if he didn't have a good reason. He was a Clan Slayer, but killing such an influential member of the Leaf Village was a risky move.

"What is he up to?" She whispers to herself as she races towards the Sound Village.

She was going to need to hurry. Hopefully, her clone would be able to restrain Naruto successfully. Suki clutches the arm with the eyes of her slain Clan Members tightly as she darts across the countryside side.

"Whatever it is, I'm going to find out." The last female Uchiha growls.

Faster and faster. Suki didn't know if she had ever run so fast in her life. It was as if her feet weren't even touching the ground. That's how fast she moved.

Their Summons would have disappeared after the battle, but she didn't want to summon Aoda again. He was injured. Garuda would be too noticeable from the sky. This was as fast as she could go. She could only hope that it would be enough.

"Maybe the grave robber did me a favor." She whispers.

If there were even two eyes out of the ten with the Mangekyo, she would have a powerful advantage over Itachi. He had the Mangekyo, but not the Eternal version. That would even her odds.

A grave robber was going to help her defeat a murder. Poetic justice at its finest. Once Itachi was dead, Suki would just have to find a way convince Naruto to forgive her for her dirty trick.

"Well he's forgiven me for everything else. Maybe he'll overlook that cheap trick." She murmurs to herself.


	11. Chapter 11

Primal

 **Author's Note:** Thanks for the reviews. I hope you all enjoy this chapter.

Naruto talking to Kyuubi in **bold**.

Kyuubi talking to Naruto in _**bold italics**_.

 **Chapter Notation:** Kurama's fox instincts and Naruto's feelings will make for an explosive combination. Oh and Suki isn't getting off that easily. Naruto is going to throw her a curveball in this chapter.

Chapter 11

Several hours later, Naruto wakes up in Suki's house. He woke up in Suki house, fully restrained. He looks around anxiously for his Mate and then growls when he realizes that it wasn't the real Suki who was watching him. It was a clone.

"After EVERYTHING, you ran straight back to the Sound?!" He snarls at her, his charka lashing around him viciously.

Suki's clone shivers. She wasn't a Sensory Type, but it was impossible not to notice that demonic reddish-orange chakra rolling off her Mate in angry waves. It was terrifying.

"Naruto, I had to get the transplant done quickly. I could only preserve the eyes for so long. You said it yourself, Tsunade doesn't trust me. I didn't have a choice." She says quickly.

The ball of light was lashing menacingly in her mind. It was as if there were actual solar flares "attacking" her. Naruto was beyond angry. He was furious. So great was his anger, that Suki's panther actually retreats further into their minds in an effort to avoid his wrath.

"No! You always do this. You always run off! We're Mates now! That's supposed to mean something! We're married! We should be making decisions together!" He growls at her.

Suki's clone gulps. Damn it. Maybe she had gone a bit too far this time. She knew that practically, she'd done the right thing. After all, Suki could only preserve those eyes for so long and gaining the Eternal Mangekyo Sharingan would go a long way towards defeating Itachi.

"Naruto, I'm sorry. You understand why it had to be done though, right?" The clone asks cautiously.

"Oh I get why you want a stronger Sharingan. That only makes sense. What I'm angry about is the fact that you kissed me and then knocked me out! That was a cheap trick!" Naruto hisses at her.

The Uchiha woman knew that she was only a clone, but she couldn't help but feel more than a little terrified. Naruto's eyes were blood red and his teeth were now fangs. That and his chakra was swirling around so violently, that it was actually burning through his restraints.

"You're right. It was fighting dirty and I am sorry about that. I shouldn't have done it." She whispers as she caresses his cheek.

 **"How is it possible to love someone so much and want to strangle them at the same time?"** Naruto asks to Kurama.

 _ **"That's the beauty and the insanity of a Mating Bond. I don't think there is a singe soul alive that truly understands it, fully."**_ The Nine Tails replies.

Naruto sighs and nods. Suki was actually afraid of him at the moment. That wasn't what he wanted, but he had to make sure that she would NEVER pull something this stupid again.

"How long have I been out?" Naruto asks as he leans into Suki's caress.

"Awhile. Less than a day though." The clone answers honestly.

Naruto nods and tries to probe his Mate's mind. He knew that he couldn't get exact words from her thoughts, but the blonde would be able to guess what was going on by her feelings. That was something at least.

"You'd already be at the Sound by now. How long does the transplant take? Oh and don't lie to me! I'll know, if you do. Our Bond makes lying to each other pointless." He reminds her.

"I'm not sure. I would say that it varies, but the real me is waking up now. I think the transplant is over." The raven haired woman admits.

"Good. I'm going to level that place to the ground. I wouldn't do it when you were in the middle of surgery, but this is NOT happening again. You're not going to knock me out and run back to that snake!" Naruto hisses at her.

The clone could only nod her head in agreement. His chakra was still too volatile. She had to calm him down.

"My eyes will have to be bandaged for at least a week and the bandages will have to be changed occasionally. I'll likely be disoriented from the anesthesia that Kabuto used during the operation." Suki mumbles.

"Yeah. I kinda figured. When you're better we are going to have a LONG talk. In the meantime though, I'm going to deal with Orochimaru and the Sound Village." He states as he takes off.

Suki's clone winces as she transmit's the information to her other self. At the moment, that was all that she could do. There was no way that she was going to defeat Naruto in combat, but she could warn her original self what was coming.

Meanwhile the real Suki flinches on the operating table. The operation had probably been a success. She was awake now and in a lot of pain, but that was only to be expected. She had just had her eyes cut out and a new pair inserted, after all.

"How are you feeling?" Kabuto asks.

"It doesn't matter how I feel. What matters is whether or not the transplant was a success. Was it?" Suki demands.

When she had arrived at the Sound Village, she had hidden away most of Danzo's. Well she had done so, after removing two Mangekyo Sharingan Eyes. They were the exact same shade of red.

Suki assumed that they had belonged to the same person. That might make things easier.. She wasn't sure though.

"It was successful. You will need to wear bandages over your eyes for at least a week, preferably two. Change the bandages at a minimum,, once a day. Do not open your eyes unless absolutely necessary. Doing so will result in unnecessary pain and may damage the eyes, if they are exposed to harsh light." Kabuto explains.

"Good to know. Thank you." Suki says with a sigh as she waits for the agony to subside.

As she was doing so, visions from her clone hit her. Suki bites her lower lip as she processes them. Naruto was up and he was very angry. Not only that, he was on his way to the Sound.

"Is everything alright?" The silver haired medic asks.

"Yes, everything's fine. Do you have any pain medication that I can take?" She inquires.

"Yes, we have lots of that. I'll give you a morphine drip." Kabuto replies as he sets the drip up.

Suki nods gratefully. Naruto was coming and he was under the influence of the Nine Tails. He was likely going to level the Sound to the ground.

That didn't really bother her though. She now had her new eyes and Orochimaru was too weak to be an asset to her at the moment. Naruto could kill Orochimaru. Suki might actually dance upon his grave. The youngest Uchiha didn't have any fond memories of the Criminal Village either.

"It only makes sense to indulge him." She whispers.

Naruto's fury was burning white hot. She could feel it. They were miles apart and it was almost as though he was standing right next to her. There was a very real possibility that he would kill Orochimaru.

"It only makes sense to indulge who?" The other ninja asks.

"Nevermind. I'm sorry. I think the drugs are making me babble a bit." The raven haired woman says apologetically.

"Ah yes. That has been known to happen. Well wait here. You should rest. That type of surgery will knock the wind out of anyone. I'll go and inform Lord Orochimaru that the transfer was a success." Kabuto states as he heads off.

"I just have to find a way to make him forgive me." She says with a sigh.

Suki knew that what she did was wrong. At the time though, she didn't feel like she had any other choice. She'd make it up to him though. Somehow. She just wasn't sure how yet.

At some point, she fell asleep. She was later awoken to the sounds of screaming and buildings being shattered. Suki blinks behind her bandages. Naruto was here.

 _Bam! Smack! Crash! Crunch!_ Suki winces as she hears the sounds of various buildings going down. She was positive that Naruto must have been firing off a lot of Rasengans. There wasn't going to be anything left when he was done.

 **"Can you sense her, Kurama?"** Naruto demands as he sends another Rasengan into one of the building's foundation, causing it to collapse.

 _ **"She's in the largest building. That's likely where Orochimaru keeps his lab. Just follow the feeling of her chakra and the panther. You'll find her."**_ Kurama replies.

Naruto nods. That's when he saw Kabuto dart outside to see what was going on. His eyes widened in horror when he saw the blonde and he dashes back inside.

"Well now, I know where Orochimaru is." Naruto says as he takes off after Kabuto.

He knew Four Eyes. The man would rush straight to his Master. Kabuto would likely try to evacuate Orochimaru. Naruto wasn't going to get that chance though. He was going to make sure that snake never stole his Mate away from him again!

"Damn it!" The silver haired medic mutters under his breath as he rushes off to find Orochimaru.

He knew that Naruto was following him. Kabuto had no choice though. Lord Orochimaru's only hope of survival rested in his hands. If he could get to the Sannin and Flicker them out of there, maybe he'd live.

The former Leaf Ninja was extremely weak as it was. Kabuto didn't fancy his odds of survival without the medical equipment that he had access to in the Sound Village, but he had to do it. If he didn't, Jinchuuriki was likely going to tear Orochimaru apart.

"You can say that again!" Naruto snarls as he follows Kabuto into Orochimaru's room.

He knew what the medic was planning. Kabuto was going to try to Flicker off with the Sannin, but he wasn't going to let that happen. Naruto grabs Kabuto and throws him against the wall.

A sickening crash is heard when the other ninja slams into the wall. Naruto wasn't entirely sure if Kabuto's skull had been shattered or if he had merely been knocked out. At the moment, he didn't care.

"Naruto, so nice of you to visit us again." Orochimaru hisses at him in pain.

"I'm not going to let it happen again. I'm not going to let you brainwash Suki anymore. I've leveled your village. Your villagers are running for their lives now. The only one who cared enough about you to stay was Kabuto. You're NEVER going to get Suki's body and you are going to die alone. You're going to die screaming." He growls at the other man.

"There's a reason that she comes here when she needs something and doesn't ask for your help. Suki knows that I can give her what she needs. If she wants to give me her body, that should be her decision. Don't you think? Can you really say that you love her, if you don't respect her decisions?" Orochimaru taunts him.

Something inside Naruto snapped, when he heard that. He grabs Orochimaru by his neck and drags him off. Using the enhanced sense of smell that Kurama gave him and the Mating Bond, he was easily able to find which room Suki was staying in.

"Suki! I'm here and I got Orochimaru." Naruto says.

"Naruto, I'm sorry." She whispers as she begins trying to remove the various tubs that were hooked up to her.

Naruto frowns as he hears her words. He knew from their Bond that Suki was sincere. He was still so angry though. Suki had tricked him. Again!

"Suki, don't try to move. You just had a major operation. I'll get you out of here in a few minutes, but you need too hear this. You need to understand that you won't be able to go running off to the Sound Village anymore. I've destroyed it and I'm going to make sure that Orochimaru never tries to steal your body." Naruto informs her in a voice that she scarcely recognized.

Suki shivers. She could feel his resolve through their Mating Bond. The ball of light was going to explode.

"I understand. I only left because I needed the Eternal Mangekyo Sharingan. That's all." She promises him.

"Good. Then you won't have an issue with me sending this bastard where he belongs. Straight to Hell." Naruto growls and the very room begins to shake from the sheer force of the Nine Tail's Chakra that was suddenly flooding the room.

"If you want to kill him, I'm not going to object." Suki tells him.

That was apparently all the "permission" that Naruto needed. Soon the sounds of anguished screams and charred flesh filled the room. Suki winces in horror at the knowledge that Naruto was likely burning Orochimaru alive with his chakra.

"LET GO OF ME!" Orochimaru screams in agony as he tries desperately to get away.

It was no use though. They all knew the truth. Orochimaru had delayed the transfer too long. He was too weak. It was doubtful that he could run or perform a Flicker, even if he got away.

"Never! You deserve this! You were going to kill her! You were going to take her away from me! You treated these people like they were your pawns! Like you owned them! No more!" Naruto snarls at Orochimaru and the chakra increases in intensity.

It was so powerful that Suki almost felt like she was going to faint. Every pore in her body could feel the Nine Tail's Chakra. It was like an ocean of chakra. More specifically, it was as if a powerful tsunami of chakra was coming crashing down on the room and she wasn't even the target of Naruto's fury.

The screams became inhuman and the scennt of charred flesh grew stronger. It was now so strong that Suki literally bends over the bed and vomits. It was disgusting.

 _ **"Naruto, he's dead."**_ Kurama informs him.

Naruto was almost too far gone to hear Kurama. Finally, this bastard was getting what he deserved. He was a damn glorified kidnapper and performed God only knows what sorts of sick medical experiments on his villagers. He deserved to die screaming.

"Die!" He growls at the now limp pile body in his arms.

For a brief moment, Naruto understood Suki. He had never really wanted to get revenge before. Now he knew why his Mate wanted it so badly.

There was something satisfying about hearing Orochimaru take his last breaths and listening to his dying screams. There was something even more satisfying about feeling the Sannin go limp in his arms.

He would NEVER be able to take his Mate away from him again. Orochimaru was never going to get Suki's body. She was safe and the snake was dead. He had protected her from this creep and that felt good. Addictively, good really.

 _ **"Your Mate needs you."**_ The Nine Tails points out.

That was just enough to snap Naruto out of his bloodlust and he nods in agreement with Kurama. Suki definitely needed him. She needed him to get her out of there and take care of her of her during her recovery.

That's when he noticed that his Mate was bent over the bed and that the floor had some vomit on it. Alright. Maybe he had gotten a bit carried away with the whole torture thing, but Orochimaru had deserved it.

"It's alright, Suki. Let's get you home." He says as he walks over to his Mate and begins undoing the various tubes that she had tied to her.

Naruto sighs and winces when he felt her panther through the bond. It was trying to slink behind "walls" and occasionally peeking out from behind them. Yeah. He had actually scared her and he didn't like that feeling.

He knew that he couldn't let her off that easy though. The Sound was gone, but their underlying issue wasn't. When things got bad, Suki would try to run away to protect him and he just wasn't going to put up with that anymore.

"Sorry." She mumbles as Naruto picks her up Bridal Style.

"It's not okay. You can't just keep running off like that, but I'm not a jerk. You're in a lot of pain right now because you went off and got an eye transplant. We can talk about it when you're better." He tells her.

He could feel her relief through their Bond and that made him smile. Suki thought that she was doing the right thing, but she still loved him. She just had a really messed up way of showing it.

In her mind, getting that transplant would improve her chances of defeating Itachi. Defeating Itachi would not only avenge her Clan, but it would also keep the both of them safe. It had been a stupid and reckless move, but she hadn't done it out of malice.

"Alright." She whispers as she snuggles into his chest and sighs in relief.

Naruto was angry. He was really, really angry. Angry enough to destroy an entire village, but he might forgive her.

Suki wasn't stupid. She knew that her Mate was still going to give her one Hell of a tonguelashing. He was just going to wait until she had recovered from the transplant to do it. Naruto was a lot more merciful than she was.

"And acting all cute and cuddly, isn't going to change the fact that you're still in big trouble." He warns her as he finds the Seal that he had left in the Sound Village.

"I know. I just like being close to you." She admits.

"You have the WEIRDEST way of showing that then!" Naruto grumbles as he activates the Seal and teleports them back to the Leaf Village.

Suki couldn't exactly argue with that. It was the truth. She has her panther "fluff" Naruto's ball of light affectionately though.

 **"She just has to go and act all cute. I know what she's doing. She's trying to make me not be mad at her anymore. It's not going to work."** Naruto tells Kurama.

 _ **"It's likely going to work. If you don't establish dominance over her soon, she's going to believe she's the Dominant Mate. If that happens, she's going to walk all over you."**_ The Nine Tails replies.

That's when Naruto made the mistake of asking how he would "establish dominance." Kurama was apparently only too delighted to show Naruto EXACTLY how that was done. A few minutes later, Naruto found himself blushing furiously as he carries Suki back into her home.

 **"You're a bigger pervert than Pervy Sage! Sheesh! I didn't need a visual demonstration! Thank goodness for the bandages. Otherwise, she'd never let me live the blushing thing down!"** Naruto grumbles.

"You alright?" Suki asks a bit uncertainly.

She could sense that Naruto was embarrassed about something. Suki just wasn't sure what it was. The last female Uchiha decides that it must have something to do with the Nine Tails. There really wasn't any reason for Naruto to be embarrassed. Angry, yes. Flustered, no.

"Yeah. It was just Kurama being Kurama." Naruto says as he lays on her down on her bed a few minutes later.

It was amazing really. She had just undergone a major surgery and still looked completely composed. If it wasn't for the bandages, Naruto never would have guessed she just had an eye transplant.

"I want you to know that I'll make it up to you. Once he's dead, I will make it up to you. I haven't been a very good Mate. I'm sorry about that." Suki tells him and Naruto got the image of the panther flattening its ears in shame.

"Oh believe me. You have a lot of making up to do, but I have a lot of good ideas about how you are going to do that!" Naruto says cheerfully.

Suki tilts her head to the side. Her eyes were covered, but somehow she still managed to convey confusion perfectly. That and the panther was definitely confused.

"What did you have in mind?" The raven haired woman inquires, a bit warily.

"Well first of all, you are going to make me a lot of homemade ramen!" He informs her.

Suki snorts in amusement. Was that seriously, Naruto's idea of punishment? Whatever. She supposed that she should be happy that her Mate was so easy to please.

"Alright. That seems like the least I can do." She concedes.

"And you're going to wear an apron while you do it." Naruto continues.

Well that she wasn't expecting. Again, it seemed like such a minor request. Suki didn't know why Naruto would even care what she was wearing when she made his noodles.

"That's fine. I'm pretty sure that I can find an apron somewhere around here." The other ninja agrees.

"And it's going to be a PINK FRILLY apron." Her Mate says cheekily.

Suki frowns. Really? Pink AND frilly? Damn it. That was cold. She had fair skin and black hair. Surely, Naruto had to know how ridiculous she was going to look in an apron like that.

"Fine. I guess I deserve that. Though you know how much I hate pink, especially when it comes with frills." Suki says with a sigh.

"I'm not done yet. This next part is the deal breaker." Naruto informs her.

Suki turns her head towards Naruto cautiously. Oh boy. She wasn't even sure that she wanted to know.

"I'm listening. What else besides ramen and a frilly pink apron, do you want?" She demands.

"Well nothing. That's the most important part." He tells her.

Naruto snickers as he felt Suki's confusion to the bond. He knew that he had just thrown her a major curveball. He could also sense that she was suspicious.

"How can nothing be the deal breaker?" Suki asks her Mate.

"That's ALL I want you to wear. Nothing, but the apron. No shirt, pants, or lingerie. I mean you're my Mate now. I should be able to look at you the way that Jirayia looks at women. The only difference is that you're the only one that I want to look at and he wants to look at everyone." Naruto reasons.

Suki blinks. He wanted her to cook for him in nothing, but an apron. She felt her face burn hotly at that thought.

"Normally, I would slap you for being a pervert. I did kinda walk into this one though. Fine, I'll do it." She mumbles.

Suki wasn't sure that she was ever going to stop blushing at this point, but Naruto was right. They were Mates now. Essentially, they were demonically married.

Married people did more than kissing. Married people saw each other semi naked and naked all the time. It was a perverted request, but it wasn't unreasonable. Besides, she had a Clan to restore anyway.


	12. Chapter 12

Primal

 **Author's Note:** Thanks for the reviews. I hope you all enjoy this chapter.

Naruto talking to Kyuubi in **bold**.

Kyuubi talking to Naruto in _**bold italics**_.

Chapter 12

The next day, Suki wakes up curled into Naruto. Her face was still bandaged, but that didn't matter. She would recognize his warmth anywhere.

"How are you feeling?" Naruto whispers as he runs his fingers through her long raven tresses.

"Other than the agony in my eyes, good." Suki answers honestly and Naruto laughs.

"That wouldn't be a problem, if you had listened to me. I guess I could talk to Granny Tsunade about this. She'd probably be able to give you more medicine…for the pain." Her Mate replies.

Suki shakes her head. That was a bad idea. They would have to explain why she needed the medicine. That wouldn't end well.

"I'll endure it. I've lived through worse. Besides, now I have you. There's no medicine will make me feel better than your kiss does." She tells him with a smile as she rolls over and kisses him.

Naruto eagerly kisses back. He wasn't sure when Suki became more cuddly, but he liked it. Now that she was actually here and had her new eyes, maybe things would be better.

"Good. Kissing is even better than ramen." He says playfully, after he breaks their kiss.

"Coming from you, that's quite the romantic declaration of undying love and affection." Suki taunts him and Naruto just rolls his eyes as he pins her against the bed.

"Yeah. It is! Believe it! You aren't running off this time." He warns her.

Suki shivers slightly at the possessive growl, she heard in his voice. There was something incredibly erotic about it. Naruto had already proven that he was willing to destroy villages for her. (Well at least he was willing to destroy one criminal village for her anyway; it was the thought that counted.)

"I didn't want to leave in the first place. Though I'm not going anywhere for at least a week. That's how long it'll take me to adjust to my new eyes at a minimum. That's without factoring in how long it will take me to master my new Sharingan. Realistically, we could very well be here for at least two weeks or even longer than a month." She admits in an embarrassed fashion.

She hated being weak. Suki hated that she had to wait for her body to adjust, but it'd be foolish not to do so. Itachi might be sick, but he was still a formidable ninja and she would like to survive their final battle.

"Good. It'll be good for you to be home and with people who care about you." Naruto says as he runs his arm along the curve of her hip.

"Other than Team Seven, I imagine that's a short list." Suki replies dryly.

Naruto frowns. He really didn't like her saying stuff like that. He wanted Suki to be happy in the Leaf with him, but not just him. It was important for her to have friends.

"That's not true and you know it." He protests.

"Naruto, let's not fight about whether or not I have friends in the Leaf Village. Right now, I have you and that's all that I really need." She tells him as she struggles for a moment to find his cheek and places a gentle kiss on is.

Naruto smiles. Well it was a start. He was just glad that she was home and largely unharmed. He still wasn't happy about her sneaking off for an eye transplant though.

He had plans to punish her for that one later. Plans that went a lot further than the apron. The blonde was almost certain that if Suki knew what he was planning, she'd probably Chidori him.

 _ **"Careful. The Bond is strong. If you feel something intensely, she will notice."**_ Kurama warns him.

 **"Oh right. Thanks. Do you think she's really alright though? That was one Hell of an operation. We probably shouldn't have moved her so quickly, afterwards."** Naruto asks anxiously.

 _ **"She's in pain. That's only to be expected though. If she was critically injured, we would now. We'd be able to sense it. That's what it means to be a Mate. It is perhaps the only way to truly know someone."**_ The Nine Tails informs him.

Naruto relaxes at that answer. He'd know, if something was seriously wrong with Suki. That was a relief. His Mate was extremely stubborn. It was unlikely that the dark beauty in his arms would tell him, if she was really hurt.

"Are you talking to the Nine Tails again?" Suki asks.

"Yeah. We talk all the time. He lives inside me, after all." Naruto answers her honestly.

Suki merely nods in understanding. She honestly didn't know, if she could have managed it. The Uchiha woman didn't know, if she could have shared her body with another being. (Well outside of pregnancy, but being the host to a demon was a completely different situation than that.)

"It's fine. I was just curious. I detected more than a hint of sneakiness there for a moment and then you got somber. Is something bothering you?" Suki inquires.

"Well something is bothering me. Would you tell me, if something was really wrong? If you were hurt badly, would you tell me?" Naruto questions her.

She smiles wistfully and caresses his cheek. Naruto had no real reason to trust her. Truthfully, she didn't understand why he wanted to be her Mate at this point. Suki decides that it didn't matter. Today could be the start of a new chapter in their relationship.

"Yes, I'd tell you. Don't worry so much. That's supposed to be my job." She whispers.

"Good. I want us to have a real Mating. We should take care of each other and not keep secrets from one another." The blonde insists.

"I'd like that." Suki agrees as she cuddles closer to him and sighs in contentment.

Meanwhile Kisame and Itachi had made it all the way to a small village on the outskirts of the Land of Fire. Itachi knew that his time was limited. If his sister was smart, she would try to have a transplant done.

Suki would want the Eternal Mangekyo Sharingan. It would take her time to recover and seek him out. Time that he did not have. His only option now lay in seeking treatment.

"You sure about this Itachi?" Kisame asks as he points Samehada at a doctor.

"I'm certain. There is really no other alternative. If I don't receive proper care, I will die long before we ever meet up with Suki again." He reasons.

Kisame nods. That much was certainly true. On one hand, Kisame was happy that Itachi was seeking treatment. He was a good partner and the Akatsuki Member would like to keep him around for awhile longer. On the other hand, Itachi was seeking treatment in a civilian hospital.

"Wouldn't a ninja hospital be better though?" He asks.

"It would be ideal in terms of care quality, but we're too high profile. They would recognize us and send for help. A civilian hospital in a small village is my best hope for survival." The Uchiha explains.

The shark lover pauses as he considers that. After awhile, he nods his head in agreement. Itachi was probably right about that. If they went to a real ninja hospital, there would be issues.

"Well hopefully, they know what they're doing." He mutters.

"I'm certain that they are familiar with my illness. While I doubt there is much that they can do for my Sharingan, they should be able to at least slow the progression of my disease." The other man replies knowledgably.

The doctor gulps. These two were dangerous ninjas. They were so dangerous that they apparently felt quite safe in discussing their plans, right in front of him.

"We'll certainly do our best, if you promise not to kill us." The doctor stammers.

"I have no reason to want any of you dead and every reason to want you to live. Please do get started. Do not even think about trying to kill me while I am unconscious. Kisame will protect me. You do not wish to try his patience." Itachi warns the man.

The healer could only gulp and nod in confirmation. The strange looking blue skinned ninja was terrifying. His teeth resembled a shark's and he had gills on his face. Not to mention, he was also carrying an excessively large sword.

He certainly did not wish to face this Kisame in battle. The man would likely cut him in half, faster than he could blink. It was in his best interest to stay on both of their good sides.

"Of course! We'll get started right away. Obviously, you will need to be unconscious to perform this surgery." He warns Itachi.

"Naturally. I anticipated that much. Should you try anything, Kisame will slaughter every last man, woman, and child in this village. Do keep that in mind as you perform the operation." Itachi tells him in a casual voice.

"I understand." The doctor replies with a gulp as he administers the anesthesia.

Kisame watches warily. This was a risk and they both knew it. Thankfully, it appeared that the doctor was too terrified (or smart) to try anything. He could only hope that the doctor would be able to work some kind of magic.

A few days later, Suki was in her kitchen and she was irritated. Naruto sensing his Mate's distress, heads towards her and blinks at what he saw. Suki was clearly trying to prepare well something. Though it seemed that without her eyes, she was struggling to say the least.

Scattered on the kitchen counter was a lot of lettuce, tomatoes, chicken, and other materials that he guessed were designed to make a salad. The blonde sighs and quickly grabs the knife out of her hand. She was trying to slice her tomatoes. Yeah. That was so NOT happening!

"Bad! Suki, you really shouldn't be playing with knives when you're essentially blind!" Naruto scolds her as he sets the knife as far away from his Mate as possible.

"Naruto, I'm recovering from a surgery. I'm not actually blind. I can handle making a damn salad!" She grumbles.

"Yeah.. I'm sure you can. How about you let me do it for you instead?" He asks as he wraps his arms around her waist, trying to prevent her from searching for the knife.

 _ **"Now would be a good time to assert a bit of dominance. A firm hold, a soft growl, and a nip to the Mating Mark is generally sufficient to get the point across."**_ Kurama instructs him.

Naruto wasn't really sure if that was a good idea. He just hoped that Suki never found out about Kurama's fetish for "asserting dominance." There was no way that she'd react to THAT well!

 **"You don't think that would just make her mad?"** He asks.

 _ **"It might surprise her. I don't think she'd be angry. Besides, she still feels guilty for ignoring your wishes and getting new eyes. Most likely, she'll be more receptive to such gestures because of that."**_ The Nine Tails explains.

The Leaf Ninja pauses as he considers that. That was true. Suki did still feel guilty about running off. Maybe he could get away with hit.

He smiles and growls lightly into her ear. The blonde felt his Mate shiver in surprise, as he tightens his hold on her and nips her Mating Mark. Naruto couldn't help but admire the way it looked against her creamy skin. It was beautiful. Nothing like Orochimaru's ugly mark.

"Nnh! N-aruto, that's not fair!" Suki gasps as she leans back against him.

That felt good. Why did that feel so good? The feeling of his teeth and lips against the Mark felt like nothing short of ecstasy. Was that just a normal part of being Mated, she wonders to herself.

"Neither was kissing me and knocking me out. I like it when you say my name like that though." Naruto tells her, after releasing her neck from his teeth.

"Mmm you've really been spending way too much time around Kakashi and Jirayia. They're starting to rub off on you." Suki notes with amusement.

"Well I don't want them to rub off on me. I'd rather rub on, you." He shocks her by saying.

Suki blinks. The apron thing had shocked her, but this was even more surprising. Perhaps she should have expected it though. He had traveled with Jirayia for three years. That was bound to have an impact on anyone.

"I promised that I'd wear the apron, but it's a little early than that. I'm not really sure how good I'd be at reciprocating, like this. I can't see anything with these damn bandages on." She mumbles, feeling her face heat up in embarrassment.

"Well you are still really good at kissing, even with the bandages on. So I don't know why that'd be any different. Besides, it's more about touching and feeling than seeing. That and it's okay. I don't mind. Making you feel good, makes me feel good. Oh and how do you get your hair to be that soft? I mean it looks so spiky, but it doesn't feel that way!" Naruto says all in one breath.

The young Uchiha tilts her head to the side in amazement. It was truly incredible. Naruto's lung capacity was unsurpassed. That was the only logical explanation for how he could say all that without any pauses to breath.

"Well I'm glad that you like my kisses. I guess you're right about reciprocating. That does sound intriguing. The thought of just enjoying your affection is really appealing, but it wouldn't be fair and I'm not a selfish lover. As far as my hair, I guess that's just good genes?" Suki ponders thoughtfully.

"Yeah. Must be." Naruto agrees as he holds her closer and Suki snuggles into his embrace.

Naruto could feel the panther fluff him rather affectionately. It was a nice feeling. This was what Suki was like when she was feeling happy and affectionate, it seemed.

"I love you." She whispers with a smile.

"I love you too, even I want to strangle you half the time for being so damn stubborn!" Naruto informs her as he light bites down on her Mating Mark.

Suki was about to respond to that, but she couldn't. The bite felt too good. She lets out a quiet moan of pleasure and arches against him.

 **"You weren't lying about the biting thing. I wish that I had known it was this easy to make her listen to me. This would have saved us both so much trouble. She really likes it."** Naruto says smugly.

 _ **"If you had just listened to me earlier, it would have saved all of us a great deal of annoyance. I suppose humans are just slow learners and there is nothing that can be done about that."**_ Kurama replies.

Naruto was about to tell Kurama off for that, when he heard a knock on the door. He blinks and sighs. Damn it.

"The one time that she actually wants to be close to me and someone has too come and visit us." He grumbles under his breath.

The Jinchuuriki sighs and mutters a hasty apology to Suki, before darting off to answer the door. He wasn't even sure who would be dumb enough to come to the Uchiah District in the first place. Oh well. Naruto supposed that he was about to find out.

"Kakashi Sensei?" Naruto asks in confusion, after opening the door.

"Oh good. You're here. The ANBU say that they haven't seen anyone enter or leave the house for awhile. Lady Tsunade sent me to ensure that everything was still going smoothly and to bring the two of you to her office." He states.

"Oh yeah. We're fine. Though I don't think that's a good idea for us to go and see Granny Tsunade yet." Naruto says sheepishly.

Kakashi raises an eyebrow. That didn't sound promising. The Jonin wasn't entirely certain that he even wanted to know what his two wayward students had done this time, but he had to ask.

"Naruto, what did you do?" He demands.

"It's more what I did. We encountered Itachi and Kisame and fought them. Once the two of them retreated, I saw that Danzo was watching us. So we confronted him. It was a battle to the death. I took his arm which was covered in Sharingans to the Sound and had a transplant performed. Once my eyes heal from the surgery, I will be in possession of two fully functional eyes with the Eternal Mangekyo Sharingan." She explains.

Suki thought about lying to Kakashi or at least hiding the truth. She really didn't want to tell him about Danzo, but she wasn't stupid. People were going to notice that he had gone missing. That and his final Seal was anything, but subtle. It wouldn't take long for the Leaf to realize that he had been killed.

She shivers as she imagines what would have happened, if they found out that she and Naruto were partially responsible for his death. They might not have delivered the fatal blow, but they would have. She doubted that the Leaf Village would care about such a distinction.

"You two have certainly been busy. You are going to have to explain all of that to Lady Tsunade. Follow me." Kakashi says as he gestures for his former students to follow him.

Naruto and Suki reluctantly do so. Thankfully, Kakashi knew how to get them to Tsunade's Office without being seen. That was a fact that Suki was truly grateful for. She was in no mood to put up with the stares that her bandages would have earned her.

"Naruto! Suki! Where the Hell have the two of you been?" The busty blonde demands, once they were safely in her Soundproof office and the door was locked behind them.

"It's a long story." Suki says cautiously and Tsunade raises an eyebrow.

She really didn't like the look of those bandages. Those bandages were wrapped around her eyes. Suki was an Uchiha. Having her eyes bandaged likely wasn't a good sign.

"Itachi and Kisame attacked us. We fought them to a draw and found out Danzo was watching us. We fought him and won. Suki grabbed his arm of Sharingans and took off to get a transplant. It was really creepy! His entire arm was covered in eyes!" Naruto exclaims.

Tsunade blinks. Suki had likely gone to the Sound for a transplant. While she certainly didn't trust Orochimaru or Kabuto, she couldn't deny that they were well versed in medicine. The transplant was likely a successful one.

More than that though, Suki was now likely in possession of an Eternal Mangekyo Sharingan. That would make her even more formidable than before. The blonde woman didn't care for where this was going at all.

"I assume that you had a set of Eternal Mangekyo Sharingans implanted? I can't imagine that you would settle for anything less. Danzo wouldn't have settled for ordinary Sharingans, if more developed ones were available." Tsunade reasons.

"You assume correctly." Suki confesses and Tsunade sighs in response.

That's when she noticed something on Naruto's neck. It was a pattern that hadn't been there before. That wasn't natural.

"What's that on your neck?" She asks Naruto.

"That's my Mating Mark. Suki has one too. We're kinda married now. It's a Jinchuuriki Thing." The young ninja tells her.

Tsunade's eyes widen in horror. The fact that Suki had the Eternal Mangekyo Sharingan was bad enough, but this was worse than anything that she could have possibly imagined. They were Mated now!

Their very souls were linked. This could end in complete disaster, especially with Itachi still lurking out there.

"Do you have any idea what the two of you have done?!" She demands.

"I take it that you know about Mating then." Suki observes and Tsuunade nods.

"I know enough. The records are scarce, but I have access to the ones that exist. When I became Hokage, I read everything that I could about Jinchuuriki. I wanted to be able to help and protect Naruto. I just never thought that he would actually take a Mate!" She shouts at them.

Naruto growls. He didn't like Tsunade yelling at Suki. This wasn't her fault. He was the one that had asked her to be his Mate. Not the other way around.

"Don't yell at her. I proposed to her! This isn't her fault. We're Mates now and nothing is going to change that. We love each other. That's all that matters. Now Suki is going to be a lot stronger. We'll find a way to stop Itachi and then she's going to make me some ramen in an apron!" He says.

Tsunade blinks. She was with Naruto until that last part. She knew that the kid liked ramen, but she didn't really understand the apron thing.

"I'm glad that you're in love, but this type of Bond is very dangerous. If one of you dies, the other will almost certainly follow. Even if the second Mate somehow survives, they tend to go insane. You are playing with forces that you don't understand! Forget about the apron! This is important!" She thunders at him.

Naruto wanted to argue that the apron was VERY important, but he sighs. It wouldn't do any good. He had to make the Hokage understand.

"We fully understand the risks. Right now though, we are planning to stay on the village. I have to recover and get used to my new eyes." Suki says.

Tsunade sighs as she pours herself a glass of sake. She couldn't see any way that this would end well. Unfortunately, there was no way of undoing the Bond.

"Very well. I wish that the two of you had thought this through. You're teenagers. You aren't ready for a lifelong commitment! You most certainly aren't ready for a Mating that ties your souls together!" She growls.

"We thought it through." Suki protests.

"I hope for both of your sakes' that you are right." The Hokage whispers.

Naruto tries to keep his teeth from elongating, but it was no use. He knew that Tsunade was just worried about him. That didn't change the fact that he was angry with her. Very angry.

She was saying that he and Suki weren't good Mates. Tsunade was essentially saying that they didn't belong together. That was just wrong. After everything that they had been through, they weren't going to be kept apart anymore!

"We should go. I'm still recovering from my surgery. Is that alright with you, Lady Hokage?" Suki asks.

"Yes, that's fine with me. There's nothing more that can be done here, at the moment." The Hokage says as she sips her sake.

Suki nods and drags Naruto off. She decides that it was best to leave Kakashi behind in the office. He could calm Tsunade down. Well at least that's what she was hoping, anyway.

"Naruto, you need to calm down. I can sense your rage through our Mating Bond." She whispers as she flickers them back to the Uchiha District.

"She was saying that our Mating was a mistake!" The other ninja protests.

"I know and she's wrong. It doesn't matter what she thinks. What matters is how we feel about each other. Oh and you getting my salad. That would be great." Suki says with a smirk.

Naruto laughs. Suki was Suki. It didn't matter whether they were Mates, friends, teammates, or rivals. She was really bossy.

"Yeah. I'll get you, your salad. No more playing with knives, until your fully recovered though." Naruto says sternly.

"Mmm alright. I promise. No more knives. Well at least not for awhile. Oh and I like extra tomatoes in my salad." She says brightly as she wraps her arms around his neck and kisses him.

Naruto smiles and kisses back. Once they killed Itachi, everything would be better. There was just one problem. They had to figure out what Danzo had been hiding first.

The blonde wasn't exactly Shikamaru, but he wasn't an idiot. He knew that somehow Danzo was connected to Itachi. They just had to figure out how.

"You're lucky that you're cute when you're bossy. Yeah. Yeah. I'll get you, your extra tomatoes." He says with a smile, after returning the kiss.


	13. Chapter 13

Primal

 **Author's Note:** Thanks for the reviews. I hope that you all enjoy this chapter.

Naruto talking to Kyuubi in **bold**.

Kyuubi talking to Naruto in _**bold italics**_.

 **Chapter Notation:** I've taken some liberties with ROOT and Sai for the sake of the story. Oh and the plot is going to diverge more radically from cannon from here on out. I hope that everyone enjoys the twists and turns that are coming up.

Chapter 13

Two weeks later, Suki was no longer wearing bandages around her eyes. She was still getting used to seeing something besides darkness and shadows. To say the least, she was more than a little disoriented.

That was alright though. She was one step closer to killing Itachi. That and she had Naruto. Her lovable blonde seemed to take his role as her "doctor" very seriously.

"Does it still hurt?" Naruto asks.

"Yeah. I'll get over it though. The hardest part is over." Suki assures him as she straightens out her clothes.

That's when she noticed something. Her outfit was surprisingly silky. She looks down in confusion and blinks. Not only was it silky, it was PINK!

Naruto had taken to picking out whatever she would wear while she couldn't see. Apparently, her mischievous Mate had a death wish. He picked out a pink silk kimono for her to wear on the day he knew her bandaging were getting taken off.

"Good." Naruto says, positively beaming that she was feeling better.

 _ **"Your Mate just noticed what you selected for her to wear this morning."**_ Kurama warns him.

 **"Oh right. Thanks. I should back up then. It was funny though."** Naruto says as he defends himself and begins backing away from the beautiful ninja slowly.

Suki groans and smacks her forehead. Naruto hadn't dressed her, but she had been stupid enough to allow him to choose her clothes. In hindsight, she had probably been asking for something like this to happen.

Naruto did love pranks. He also loved getting under her skin. Why wouldn't he take an opportunity to do both activities simultaneously?

"What the Hell have you been making me wear all this time?!" She demands.

"Mostly kimonos. A few dresses. It was funny. I mean I've never really seen you out of your training outfits. Besides, it looks pretty on you." He argues.

She shakes her head in amusement and exasperation. Suki didn't know what she was going to do with him. If her eyes weren't throbbing, she probably would have whacked him around a few times.

"Naruto, it's beautiful. It really is, but pink is not my color. I guess I should count my blessings that you didn't make me wear orange or rainbow colored clothes. That or God forbid poka dots!" The raven haired woman huffs and crosses her arms.

"Orange was on Tuesday. Rainbow was Wednesday. Poka dots were yesterday." Naruto says brightly.

On second thought, maybe she could manage a few good whacks. He thought he was sneaky. Well she'd show him who was the boss around here!

It was important to make him understand that she loved him. She loved Naruto with all her heart, but she wore the sandals in this relationship. He was not going to get away with stunts like this and not regret it.

"Did you seriously take advantage of my temporary "blindness" and have me prance about in those ridiculous outfits?" Suki growls at him.

"Maybe, I did. Maybe, I didn't. I guess you'll never know!" Naruto laughs.

Oh that was it! She lunges at him and pins him to the bed. It was time to discipline her fox. Maybe a Lion's Barrage or two would get the message across?

"You are such a loser! I can't believe you actually did that." She grumbles.

"Oh come on. You can't be mad at me. You're still on probation for that transplant. Just so you know." He informs her.

Suki sighs. He had a point there. She smiles and caresses her cheek. The last Uchiha wasn't stupid. Suki knew that she was damn lucky to have Naruto.

She highly doubted anyone else would have forgiven her for everything. Naruto was loyal to the point of absolute stupidity. It was both his most endearing trust and his most frustrating one. Some people just didn't deserve it.

"I guess that's true. I just haven't been feeling that well lately. Let me make it up to you." She purrs at him.

She hoped it was a seductive purr. Suki might be a powerful ninja, but she was still new to all of this. She just didn't have much practice seducing people.

"Ho-w?" Naruto asks, suddenly gulping.

 **"Is it weird that I found that purring thing she just did hot?"** The blonde asks.

 _ **"No. I believe that is why she did it. In any case, she might have finally gone into heat."**_ Kurama says as he retreats further back into Naruto's mind.

Naruto blinks. Suki must have meant business. Kurama was actually giving them privacy voluntarily. That could mean only one thing. Maybe, they were going to do something more than kissing.

Meanwhile Itachi's operation was over. Against his doctor's orders, he and Kisame depart from the hospital. Itachi was as stabilized as he was willing to allow himself to be.

"You're crazy. You know that, right? Maybe, you are just hoping to make it easier for her to kill you by rushing off to her when you're half dead." Kisame muses.

The other Akatsuki member raises an eyebrow. His partner knew everything. He knew everything about the Uchiha Massacre and why he wanted to give Suki some small level of closure through his death.

Truthfully, he was at a loss for why Kisame continued to bring up the issue. He supposed in some strange way, the other man probably did care about him. Kisame might think of himself as more of a shark than a human, but his mind was human. Humans were capable of friendship.

"That's one interpretation. Besides, she's already killed Orochimaru. That means she will begin looking for me, once more in earnest. I'd rather not have her find me in a hospital bed." The smoky eyed man replies.

Kisame shakes his head. Sometimes he really didn't understand Itachi. The man had been forced to kill his entire family and was worried about hospital causalities? It didn't make any sense in his mind.

"You're very strange. You know that, right?" He asks.

"Considering that you believe yourself to be more similar to a shark than a man, I would say that what one considers strange is all relative." He says as they begin their long trek to the Leaf.

He couldn't believe that his sister had been foolish enough to get Mated. Itachi wondered if Suki even knew what she had agreed to. Did Naruto? It seemed unlikely.

In either case, they were far too young to be tied together someone else in such an intimate fashion. Itachi didn't think that he could have ever consented to a Mating. It was the most intimate union imaginable. Demons often times, actually died when their Mate did.

"I guess that's a fair point." Kisame says with a chuckle as they continue on their way.

"We will have two options. We can try to sneak into the Leaf Village once more and take them to another location or we can draw them out." Itachi reasons.

"Last time didn't go so well. Maybe a more subtle approach would work better. We can find a place to go and send a messenger crow. That ought to get her attention. Boy Wonder will likely come along as well. I'm sure he wants to kill you, almost as much as she does." Kisame states cheerfully.

Itachi couldn't necessarily disagree with that. He still wasn't entirely happy about his sister's Mating. He knew little about the Jinchuuriki and that didn't sit well with Itachi.

After everything that she had been through, he wanted her to be happy. The odds that her first boyfriend was _**"The One"**_ were low. Extremely low and a Mating couldn't be undone.

"Oh will you stop your moping? We'll be there soon." Kisame says.

"I'm not moping." Itachi protests in annoyance as he quickly summons a crow and attaches a scroll to its leg.

Kisame might be right about the crow. Last time, sneaking into the Leaf hadn't worked very well. Drawing Suki and Naruto out was simply there best option.

"Yes, you are." Kisame insists and Itachi struggles not to roll his eyes.

"Believe what you will, but I am not moping." Itachi retorts as he watches the crow take the sky.

There was something rather thrilling about seeing a bird fly. In Itachi's mind, there was a certain freedom to it that was hard to fully articulate. He certainly envied them though. He wished that it was that easy to get away from all your troubles.

Back in the Leaf Village, ROOT was panicking. Word of Danzo's death hadn't spread yet. They knew that this was because of the Hokage's orders. She was trying to keep it quiet.

"She won't be able to keep this a secret for long." Sai observes.

"No. She will not. Danzo was a critical part of this village. It's a disgrace that the Lady Hokage is hiding his death. We don't even know who killed him, but it was not a natural death. He was missing an arm." Another says.

The second ROOT member's name was Jinra. He had orange hair that framed his face in a subtle mane and violet eyes. The man had always been on the smaller side, but he was wicked fast. Almost as fast as Minato had been.

"She must be keeping his death a secret to prevent a panic. That's the only logical explanation. We still have to figure out who did it though." Sai continues and Jinra nods in agreement.

They couldn't allow all of Danzo's work to be for nothing. There were two layers to any ninja village. The Tree Layer and the ROOTS or Shadow Lawyer.

The first was the one that everyone saw. These were the rank and file ninjas and civilians. Their daily dealings for the most part were ethical and or at least legal. There business was conducted out in the open. They were the respectable side to any ninja village.

"I assume that must be it. We won't be able to get near his body though. Not with that seal. By now, all the traces of chakra are gone. Sadly, the ANBU got there before we did. The area was already tempered with before we could investigate fully." Jinra laments.

The second was the Shadow Layer or the ROOTS. Their jobs was to do all the unpleasant dirty work that was necessary to keep the village safe, even most ninjas never saw the roots. It was the dark side of ninja life.

Sai knew that his new teammates Sakura and Naruto would be horrified by the times that he had done. It didn't even phase him. Most of his emotions had been beaten out of him long ago. It was better that way.

"Should we inform the Lady Hokage that we are aware of Danzo's death?" Jinra asks.

"No. I think that we should keep that to ourselves for now. The Third Hokage disbanded our organization. I'm not entirely certain that Lady Tsunade is anymore pleasantly disposed towards us than he was." Sai says with a sigh.

Without Danzo, he had no real goal. He supposed that he would try to water the ROOTS and keep them going. It was for everyone's safety really.

The young artist was relieved when Jinra voiced no objection to his suggestion. ROOT was without an official leader at this point. Jinra was certainly a contender for that spot and Sai was young. Young enough that it would have been very difficult for him to be taken seriously as the leader.

"I'm inclined to agree." Jinra says and with that, the two men head off.

It wouldn't be smart to be seen too much with each other. They weren't known in the village as being friends. If they were going to keep this village safe, secrecy was really their best weapon.

Meanwhile Suki smiles and brushes her lips against Naruto. Sometimes he could be almost as bad as Jirayia and Kakashi. Most of the time though, he was just as innocent as her. More innocent really.

"We never really did have a proper Honeymoon. I'm sorry about that. It's still likely not a good idea to have a real one until everything is settled." She whispers.

Naruto sighs. Damn it. Here he thought they were actually going to do something more than kissing. That was okay though. He liked kissing. He really, really liked kissing.

"Yeah. I get it. That's just one of many reasons why I'm going to kill your brother. That bastard is preventing us from having our Honeymoon. How evil is that?" Naruto asks with a laugh.

"Mmm it's pretty evil." Suki concedes as she places a trail of kisses along his cheek, over his jaw, and across his throat.

Naruto feels himself shiver. That felt amazing. No wonder Pervy Sage and Kakashi Sensei were always reading or writing those stupid books. They probably wanted to feel this way too.

"Yeah. Very evil." He says as he leans up slightly and captures her lips with his own, sliding one of his hands up and down the length of her back in a sensual caress.

Suki moans quietly in the kiss and sighs softly in pleasure. She could get used to this. For a moment, nothing else mattered but him and her.

He wasn't really sure what it was about the moan that excited him so much, but Naruto quickly reversed their positions. He was soon on top of Suki and kissing her, even more heatedly.

"I really hate breathing." Naruto says, a few minutes later.

The blonde had to break the kiss for air. It was a tough call though. Oxygen or the feeling of Suki's lips against his own. Which was more important? One was ecstasy and the other he needed to actually live.

"Mmm you know there's a trick for that. Breathe through your nose when you kiss me. Other than that, I'd say that your kissing abilities have improved tremendously since our Academy Days." Suki says with a teasing smile and she lightly bites down on his Mating Mark.

Now it was Naruto's turn to moan. He suddenly understood why Suki liked her Mating Mark touched so much. That was…indescribably good.

"G-lad you think so." He pants out.

"Mmm I know so. Though I guess it's not really fair to compare. Those times were accidents and this was on purpose. Just relax. I want to try something." The raven haired woman says as she slides her hands further south.

She was still underneath him. Naruto really liked it that way. Well he liked her on top too, but there was just something really exciting about the feeling of her underneath him.

Suki rarely let anyone get close to her. He knew that he was definitely the only one that she let get this close. She was soft and warm, when she wasn't fighting. That and curvy. Somehow their bodies lined up like two pieces of a puzzle. They just fit together perfectly. He liked that.

"Try what?" He asks.

"You'll see. It wouldn't be smart to have a real Honeymoon, but that doesn't mean that we can't be together in other ways." She says cryptically.

 **Warning Lime**

Naruto really didn't know where she was going with this. That's when he felt her hand on the waistband of his pants. Upon further reflection, now he had a fairly good idea where she was going with this and that knowledge made his face burn bright red.

"You're blushing. That's cute, Naruto." She observes in amusement as she proceeds to slide his pants off.

Suki might have been blustering on the outside, but on the inside she was blushing even more than Naruto. She'd never actually gone this far before. The youngest Uchiha had gotten more eyefuls than she had ever cared to in the Sound, but that didn't mean she really knew what she was doing.

"Well yeah! You just took my pants off!" He says.

Suki rolls her eyes playfully and kisses him as she slides his boxers off. He was going to be difficult. She supposed that he wouldn't be Naruto, if he made things easy though.

She glances down and blinks. Suki knew enough about human physiology to realize that Naruto was rather large by anyone's standards. The raven haired woman smirks as she realizes maybe that was why he was so cocky.

"Considering you want to see me mostly naked, I think fair is fair." She taunts him, after breaking the kiss.

Naruto couldn't really argue with that logic. Not that he really wanted to. When he felt her actually touch him THERE, his mind just shut down. Completely.

The only thing that he could think about was how good that felt. Her hands were slightly rough from wielding lightning so often. That didn't bother him though. The contrast between the gentle touch and rough skin felt wonderful.

"I've never actually done this before. So you'll have to tell me, if I'm doing it right or not." She says shyly as she continues to stroke him.

He was definitely fully aroused. That made Suki feel less shy. She must have been doing something right and the fact that Naruto was bucking into her hand was also reassuring.

"Y-eah you're definitely doing it right." Naruto moans appreciatively and reaches down slightly to tug hiked up her kimono.

He pushes the silky pink fabric over her knees and eventually finds what he was looking for. Suki was wearing a pair of what Pervy Sage called girl's boxers. Red lace. They hugged her fair skin possessively and made for quite the stunning contrast.

"Good." Suki says as she continues stroking, trying not to blush when she felt where his hands were going.

"I want to try something too." He practically growls with approval.

Before Suki could respond to that, Naruto had already slid off her lingerie and was curiously rubbing her. Suki bites her lower lip, but it was useless. She moans anyway.

It felt too good not to. She could feel her lower half hum with desire and she could feel Naruto's lust through their bond and in her hand. It was a potent combination.

"That feels good." Suki whispers as she arches against him and kisses him again, continuing her own erotic teasing.

Naruto smiles into the kiss. He could feel through their Bond that she wasn't lying. It was hard to distinguish his own feelings from hers at the moment. They both felt like they were on fire, but in a wonderfully wicked way.

Curiously, he traces the silky skin of Suki's most intimate place with his hand. He smiles when he feels her shiver and moan in response. She was already soaked with desire. He knew enough to realize that the fact she was wet was a good thing.

"Tell me to stop, if I go too far." He says, after ending the kiss.

"I will." She promises and nips at his Mating Mark playfully.

With that, Naruto just lost it. She had to know that that action drove him crazy. He slides a single finger inside her and his other hand teases her clit.

Suki arches against him even more desperately and Naruto smirks. He'd found another of Suki's spots. He couldn't help but marvel at how hot, tight, and wet she was inside.

"It's going to be really hard not to have a real Honeymoon." He informs her as he slides his finger in and out of her.

Naruto reveled in every moan, every sigh, and even every whimper. Yes, Suki apparently was capable of whimpering and for some reason, Naruto arousal burned even hotter when she did. That might have had something to do with the fact that she was still touching him though.

"We'll have one eventually. I promise." She murmurs.

Suki honestly didn't have any idea how her Mate was actually going to fit inside her at some point. His fingers were one thing, but his actual kunai was something else. The way that his touch made her feel though, made her eager to find out.

She knew enough to realize that Naruto's breathes were coming faster now. He was thrusting into her hand faster and faster. Her blonde was just as close as she was.

With that thought in mind, she bite down on his neck and strokes him as fast as she could. She moans in euphoria when he returns the gesture and brushes against some spot inside her that made her see stars. That brought them both spiraling over the edge.

"Wo-w." Naruto murmurs almost reverently as he slides his fingers out of her and Suki could only nod dumbly in response.

 **End Lime**

She didn't know her body could feel that good. That was just foreplay though. Suki wasn't sure that she could actually survive being with him. The feelings were just so intense. So overwhelming, but so addictive.

"Yeah." She says as she snuggles into her almost lover.

"Suki?" Naruto asks as he runs his fingers through her hair.

"Mhm?" The youngest Uchiha replies in a daze, still enjoying the effects of the afterglow.

Naruto knew that it was wrong, but he figured he might as well tell her anyway. After all, she could probably guess what he was feeling from his emotions anyway. There was no point in hiding anything from her.

"I'm glad that you said you'd never done that before. If someone else had touched you that way or you had touched them, I'd want to kill them." He admits.

That actually shocked Suki. Orochimaru was one thing. That creep had it coming, but she never would have expected that Naruto would be capable of such jealousy.

"I know that it's wrong, but I probably would have the same reaction. It doesn't matter though. We're Mates now." She assures him.

Naruto nods and kisses her forehead. Suki just smiles in response and cuddles further into him. This was nice.

Her happiness was briefly interrupted by one thought though. Itachi had killed Danzo. Danzo knew something and now the elderly ninja was gone. They would have to figure out what he knew eventually.

"Something wrong? You're frowning now?" Naruto observes in concern.

"The dead don't tell any secrets. Danzo is dead. We might never find out what he knew that was worth being killed over." She whispers.

Now it was Naruto's turn to frown. Suki was right. It was going to be hard to figure out what Danzo knew, now that he was dead.

"Don't worry about it. We'll figure it out." He tells her.

"I know. It won't do any good worrying about it, until I get used to my new Sharingan." She says with a sigh.

"You'll get used to it. You managed to survive three years in the Sound Village. You can do anything." Naruto assures her.

"I suppose that's true. There's also the fact that I have you. If you can forgive me for everything, you're truly capable of anything." Suki says with a smile.


	14. Chapter 14

Primal

 **Author's Note:** Thanks for the reviews. I hope that you all enjoy this chapter.

Naruto talking to Kyuubi in **bold**.

Kyuubi talking to Naruto in _**bold italics**_.

 **Chapter Notation:** There is a brief brutal scene in this chapter. Warnings were put up before and afterwards. If you are particularly squeamish, you should skip it. Neither Naruto, nor Suki was the victim in this scene though. **Obviously, these types of techniques should never be used in real life. It's just a plot device.**

Chapter 14

Suki was very tempted to forget the rest of the world and just stay snuggled in Naruto's arms. She knew better though. Sooner or later, Itachi would come for her.

He had once before. Her brother would do it again. This time, she would be ready for it. The Criminal Ninja was going to pay for what he did. Suki would make sure of it.

"How did you go from feeling all cuddly to feeling all scary, so fast?" Naruto asks.

"I was thinking about how nice this was and then my thoughts drifted to Itachi. We're never going to be safe until he's dead." She says with a sigh as she rests her head on his chin.

At the moment, Suki couldn't fully articulate why she had gone to the Sound. She had thought that it would make her stronger and it had, but that was nothing compared to this. This connection that she felt with her lovable dumb blonde.

"And you're back to cuddly again. That's really weird. Well I'm glad to finally known what's going on in that head of yours. Sorta." Naruto says as he smiles and kisses her forehead.

Once Itachi was gone, everything would be better. He still couldn't believe what they had done just a few minutes ago. The blonde did know one thing though. He wanted more.

Actually, he knew two things. Naruto wanted more and he wanted to Itachi dead. Itachi had hurt Suki badly. He had murdered his own family. If anyone deserved to die, it was him.

"I'm glad you know too. That and it seems like I'm not the only one who can be scary. Your side of our Bond just went a lot darker." Suki whispers as she brushes her thumb against his lips.

"Yeah. I mean you mentioned that murderer. So I got mad. He hurt you. Itachi killed a lot of innocent people. In a lot of ways, he's worse than Orochimaru." Naruto says as he leans in to kiss her.

He wasn't sure how he knew exactly that gesure was a signal to kiss her. The blonde just did. He decides to pawn it off to their Mating Bond.

Suki smiles and kisses back. She quickly wraps her arms around his neck and deepens it. Yes, it was extremely tempting. She could just stay here with Naruto and let Itachi die of whatever illness he had. It would be so easy.

 _ **"She's thinking about Denning. You should encourage it."**_ Kurama says.

 **"Denning? What are you talking about?"** Naruto asks in confusion as he continues kissing his Mate.

They really should have done this years ago. Well maybe not years ago.. They had been a little young when they were on Team Seven for this stuff. They could have been at least dating and kissing though. Holding hands and things like that, instead of hurling Chidoris and Rasengans at each other.

 _ **"It means she wants to create a home with you. Most likely, she's thinking about having children. Denning means putting down roots."**_ He explains as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

Naruto blinks in surprise. He hadn't expected that. Suki wanted to just stay for once? She wanted to stay with him and not run off? That was a first.

"Naruto, you alright?" Suki asks, breaking the kiss.

She could feel his confusion through the Bond. That made her feel confused as well. What was so confusing about kissing?

"Yeah. I'm fine. It's just I didn't think that you'd ever want that." He says as he embraces her tightly.

"You lost me? You didn't think that I would want what?" The raven haired woman replies in a baffled tone.

"Well you know, want to stay. You've always run away from the Leaf. From me. I could feel from our Bond though that you want to stay." Naruto answers her.

Suki sighs and caresses his cheek. She hated that he thought that. Naruto actually thought that she didn't want to stay in the Leaf? He felt like she was constantly running away from him. That hadn't been the case at all.

"I've always wanted to stay. I just couldn't. That's all. Naruto, I love you. I want to be with you. It's just that there are a couple of things that I need to do first." The Uchiha assures him.

Naruto grins. He still couldn't believe that Suki was actually saying that. It was Suki. He beams and holds her even more closely.

"I love you too." He whispers.

"Danzo clearly knew something though. Itachi wouldn't have killed him, if he didn't." Suki says.

That's when there was a tap on the window. Naruto tilts his head to the side and decides to go investigate. What he saw, surprised him. It was a crow with a scroll attached to its feet.

"Naruto, what is it?" His Mate asks as she follows him to the window.

"It's a scroll. Probably a letter." He says as he opens it and reads it out loud.

 _ **Dear Foolish Little Sister,**_

 _ **I regret that our last meeting was cut so short. Meet me at the Valley of the End in three days time. You can bring your plaything, if you like. It truly makes no difference to me.**_

 _ **Itachi.**_

Suki shivers. Almost as soon as the words left Naruto's mouth, his chakra took on an extremely ominous feeling. It was even more vicious than when he had faced Orochimaru.

He was her Mate. Naruto loved her and Suki was honestly terrified at that moment. His chakra was so potent that a mini tornado had formed inside her house. Several objects were swirling around just because of the sheer force of the swirling, angry chakra.

"Naruto, calm down. We can't afford to lose it. We've got to be smart about this." She says, hoping that would actually break through to him.

She would have been furious, if she wasn't so worried about Naruto. How dare Itachi taunt her in such a fashion?! How dare he speak about Naruto like that?! He was her Mate! Not her plaything!

Orochimaru was the first person that he had ever truly hated. Itachi was the second. Once again, the blonde was forced to acknowledge that it was a powerful feeling.

It was no wonder that Suki had succumbed to it. It was hot and felt like poison burning inside him. Some primitive part of him believed that the only way to stop the burning was to kill him and to protect his Mate.

"Naruto?" Suki asks warily, as she senses his thoughts taking an even darker turn.

"It's okay. I'm in control. Don't worry. I'm not going to let him or anyone else hurt you, ever again." Naruto promises as he kisses her possessively.

Suki returns the kiss. It almost took her breath away. This one was far different from his usual loving and playful kisses. This one was down right primal.

It wasn't painful, but it was fierce. She could barely keep up with it. The youngest Uchiha feels herself moan into it and the blonde conquer every corner of her mouth.

There really wasn't any other word for it. Her Mate was taking no prisoners this time. Normally, she would have fought him for control of the kiss. That would have been futile though. This kiss was a force of nature.

"I know you won't. You're a good Mate." Suki says, after the kiss ends and she bites down lightly on his Mating Mark.

She wasn't sure where the words came from. Any other time, Suki would have said that she could take care of herself. Naruto needed to hear this though and it was the truth.

The other ninja had already proven that he'd do anything for her. He'd chase her around for years, trying to rescue her. He had even burned a man alive to protect her. There was no denying that Naruto was a good Mate.

"That feels good." Naruto growls in pleasure as he tilts his neck to the side, exposing it more to Suki.

"Good." Suki tells him with a sly smile as she licks the mark affectionately.

Meanwhile Itachi and Kisame were heading to the Valley of the End. Kisame couldn't for the life of him understand why Itachi wanted to wait three days. He obviously wanted to die. So why was he stalling?

"I'm sure she'll take the bait, but why the three day wait? Are you getting cold feet about this?" The blue skinned man taunts him.

"I've never been more sure about anything in my life. I waited three days because she just had an eye transplant done. The crow informed me of it. Those aren't her eyes. They belonged to our mother." He says.

"Your mother? How is that possible though? The woman's been dead for like ten years. How could the eyes have survived that long? I'm no medic, but it would seem to me that they wouldn't be useable, if they even survived that long.." The Akatsuki member muses with a morbid curiosity.

Itachi clenches his fists so tight that he was certain his nails were cutting into his skin. It was the only way that he could hide his fury. His anger wasn't at Kisame though. It was a legitimate question.

His anger was at Danzo. That man had actually taken the eyes of his Clansmen and Clanswomen and put them on an arm. He was wearing the dead as if they were a sleeve. It was beyond barbaric.

"It seems that he somehow acquired ten Sharingans. My best guess is he had someone dig up the graves while they were fresh or collected them over the years. Perhaps both. Whatever his methods were, he acquired ten Sharingans. Suki must have cut off his arm or at least grabbed two of them before his Seal activated at the time of his death." He explains.

Kisame pauses as he considers this. He was an S Class Criminal Ninja. There were very few things that could turn him green around the gills. The idea of wearing the eyes of dead people like a bracelet though, well that did it.

"That's disgusting. You must be glad that you killed that bastard." The Akatsuki member says.

"I can't deny that I took no small amount of pleasure in it." Itachi says with a smirk.

Honestly, he had never enjoyed killing before. If given the option, he would always choose peace. It was just that he had been born into a world where that wasn't much of an option.

"Good. Do you want me to be there with you for the fight?" Kisame inquires.

"You are not too take the Nine Tails. He is now connected to Suki. Before the Mating, I would have been more than willing to allow you to take him back to the others." Itachi begins.

He knew that he had to try to make Kisame understand. The Bond between Mates was unbreakable. If Kisame killed Naruto, he was killing Suki and that was just unacceptable.

"Now things are different though. If you have any ideas of capturing him, I would urge you to leave. If you value your life, you won't act on such impulses. Otherwise, you may stay if you like. This is a fight that I do not wish for you to assist me in." He finishes.

 _He wants to die,_ that's what Kisame hears in Itachi's words. His main concern was giving Suki her pound of flesh. After that, he wanted to ensure that her Mate would be safe. Beyond that, Itachi truly didn't care what happened.

"Well you know that I'm supposed to bring the Nine Tails back to the rest of the Akatsuki." He says.

"I'm aware of that. If you aren't suicidal, you won't though. After my death, you'll leave. Go somewhere that the Akatsuki will never find you. Perhaps the Land of Iron, an Island Nation, or one of the neutral territories. You're intelligent. You might try to hide it, but we both know that's true. You can avoid them. It's just a matter of you deciding to do so." Itachi whispers.

He hoped that Kisame wouldn't do something stupid. Itachi really hoped that his partner wouldn't be foolish enough to attack Naruto Uzumaki. If he was though, Kisame would be joining him in the afterlife.

"Alright. Alright. I won't touch your baby sister's boyfriend. Sheesh." Kisame says with a chuckle.

"Thank you. That's all that I wanted to hear." Itachi says with a smile.

The next day, Suki heads to the Leaf's Market with Naruto. She had decided it would probably put everyone more at ease, if she was seen with him. That and she just enjoyed being around her Mate.

"They got a sale on tomatoes." Naruto says cheerfully.

"Mhm." Suki says as she kisses his cheek without thinking about it.

Soon everyone's eyes was on the new couple. Nearly all of the people at the Market had already been staring at Suki, but now they weren't even bothering to hide it. The former criminal had just kissed Naruto's cheek.

Suki mentally sighs. She probably shouldn't have done that. Now rumors would be flying all over the place by sundown. Most likely, that kiss on the cheek would somehow morph into her being pregnant with his baby by this time tomorrow.

"I probably should have thought that though more. It was just that it was so cute that you remembered the tomatoes." She whispers.

"It's alright. I want people to know. There's no reason why we should have to keep it a secret." Naruto tells her with a grin.

Suki finds herself smiling back. It didn't matter that everyone was staring at them. The whispers ceased to register at all. The only thing that she could focus on was his sunny smile and how his eyes practically glowed with happiness.

It didn't take much to make Naruto happy and for that she was grateful. Suki didn't really know how to do the romance thing. With them it had always been about passion and aggression.

"I guess that's true." She says with a smile.

Despite the fact that they were still almost as likely to kill each other as make love, it was the little things that showed they cared for one another. The little things like ramen and tomatoes. Maybe deep down, they were both rather simple creatures.

It didn't matter though. They had each other and that was enough. Neither of them had need for things like poetry and sappy declarations of love.

"Come, Jinra. We have work to do." Sai states as another man follows him.

Immediately, Suki's eyes narrow. She had seen that skinny ninja around the village before. Usually he was close to Danzo. Danzo might be dead, but his groupies weren't.

"On second thought, let's forget the tomatoes for now." She tells Naruto and hopes that he would be able to pick up on what she was about to do from their Mating Bond.

She didn't have time to explain. Suki couldn't lose them. With that thought in mind, the raven haired woman stealthily follows the two members of ROOT.

 **"What's she doing?"** Naruto asks in confusion, taking off after his Mate.

 _ **"She's tracking two ROOT Members. They worked for Danzo. Your Mate believes that they may have the answers that you seek."**_ Kurama replies.

That was all Naruto needed to hear. Stealth wasn't his greatest asset, but he was a ninja. He could be stealthy, when he HAD to be and this was definitely one of those times.

The two ROOT members head inside a building and Suki darts in after them. Naruto does likewise. That's when the Mates realized that they had found some sort of meeting.

"Our Seals are gone." One of them states as if his observation was of profound importance.

"Lord Danzo placed them on us to ensure that we wouldn't be able to spill the organization's secrets. It was a smart move. Paralyzing anyone who was about to tell others about ROOT was clever. Unfortunately, I'm not certain that anyone else in our organization knows how to perform the Seal." Sai says with a sigh.

Suki frowns. Oh yes, these people had definitely worked for Danzo. They had secrets that the elderly man had thought needed to be Sealed away. If she and Naruto could get them to talk, they might find out what secrets Danzo had carried to the grave with him.

"There are far too many secrets that we can not leave to chance." Another says.

"I am well aware of that. There is the Uchiha Downfall in particular. Should the truth behind that circumstance ever get out, it will ruin the Leaf." Sai says softly.

Suki glances at Naruto. She could only hope that somehow he would be able to tell what she wanted to do from the Bond. He could pick up on feelings, but not exact words. It would have to be enough.

 _ **"Your Mate wishes to attack and extract information from them. I suggest that you should make some clones."**_ Kurama informs him.

 **"Got it!"** Naruto says as he produces dozens of clones.

"I think that I'd like to her more about the Uchiha Clan's Downfall." Suki snarls as she goes rushing at Sai.

"GET HER!" The ROOT Members all shout in unison.

It was no use though. Between Naruto's clones and Suki's fury, even the highly skilled members of ROOT stood no real chance. A flurry of kunais, ink attacks, Genjutsus, and Taijutsu moves were hurled at each of the Mates, but none of them slowed Suki or Naruto down.

"I just wanted to have a civilized discussion, but we can do it your way. LION'S BARRAGE!" Suki snarls out as she slams her feet and arm into Sai.

The artist falls to the floor in pain. To his credit, he gets up quickly and draws a shield. That was no match for Suki's Chidori though.

"You are going to tell us exactly what we want to know or you will join Danzo in death!" She screams at him.

"Twenty against two isn't a fair fight." Naruto says with a smirk.

"We're ninjas. Besides, you were foolish enough to attack us. Now you will both die!" Jinra yells at Naruto as he charges at the other ninja.

Naruto dodges and grabs the man's hand. He sends him flying into the wall hard. He meant it when he said that he wasn't going to allow anyone else to hurt Suki. That included ROOT Members.

"I mean that it wasn't a fair fight for you guys. Twenty was never going to be enough." Naruto retorts as he clashes with the other ninja.

"Tsukuyomi!" Suki yells as her eyes bleed red and she locks her gaze with Sai's.

 **"Kurama, what's the Tsukuyomi?"** Naruto asks.

 _ **"It's a powerful Genjutsu technique that can only be used if one has the Sharingan and even then, it is quite rare. She is essentially trapping him in an illusion. A world of her own making. To us, they haven't moved. To them though, days might pass before she releases him."**_ The Nine Tails explains.

Suki glances around at the black and red world that she had created. This was her first time actually using the technique. She knew what to do in theory, but putting it into practice was something else altogether.

"What did you do to me?!" Sai demands.

"I captured you in my Genjutsu. You are going to tell me what I want to know or you'll regret it. I think I'll start by slicing off your nose." She says as she unsheathes her sword.

"I may no longer have the Seal, but I would not betray ROOT or my village in such a fashion. You'll have to kill me." Sai tells her with a fake cheerful smile.

 **Warning Brutal Scene**

That smile was really annoying, Suki thinks to herself. Well if he wanted to play it the hard way, that's exactly what they would do. She brings her sword down on Sai, slicing off his nose.

Blood splatters everywhere. Suki smirsk as she hears his howl of pain. Pain was good. That meant that he might talk.

"Never. I'll never tell you. Let the dead rest in peace." He tells her.

"They'll rest in peace, once I have avenged them." Suki says simply as she severs the artist's left arm.

None of these injuries would be real once he work. The psychological effect was just as powerful though. In the end, he would tell her what she wanted to know. She was sure of it.

It wasn't that she enjoyed doing it. She just knew that it was the only way to break him. She swings her sword over and over again.

The Uchiha woman even used her Chidori to stop the bleeding from Sai's arm. While he couldn't die here, she wasn't entirely sure that he wouldn't pass out mentally and she couldn't allow that. She needed answers.

"I'm not going to tell you anything!" He hisses at her.

"Yes, you will." She says as she hurls fire at him.

This world was an illusion, but it felt so real. She could smell his flesh burning. His screams. The taste of smoke in the air. All of it. It was all so real to her.

Days pass in the Jutsu, but Suki knew that it was only seconds. Sai might have also realized that, but eventually he gave in. He gave in once Suki was covered in his blood and he would have been dead about eight times over, if this were not a Genjutsu.

"The Massacre was an order. Itachi agreed to it only on the condition that you were spared. The Uchiha Clan was planning a coup. Itachi chose to stop it. He didn't want the Leaf to end up in a Civil War and potentially trigger another Great Ninja War." Sai grunts out in pain.

 **End of Brutal Scene**

"Release." She whispers in horror.

While she had been interrogating Sai, Naruto and his clones had been fighting Root. Her Mate had somehow managed to knock most of them out. That was a damn good thing because Suki could only gape at Sai in horror.

Could it possibly be true? Was Itachi not the villain, but the victim in their Clan's sad history? She had tortured him for "days." Was it possible that he had really come up with such an elaborate lie in an effort to be released?

She didn't think so, but she had to know. Suki knew one thing. She needed to see Itachi now, more than ever. Thankfully, she knew that she would soon get her chance to do so.

"Naruto, let's go. We got what we wanted. They can't exactly go to the Hokage and report us for attacking them. Their organization isn't supposed to exist anymore." She whispers.

Naruto nods in agreement. He mentally winces when he feels what Suki was though. It was intense to put it mildly.

An ocean of shock and horror. That was the only way to describe it. She was practically drowning in it. Naruto had never felt anything like it before and he never wanted to feel anything like it again, especially not coming from his beloved Mate.

"Alright. What happened though?" Naruto asks as he takes her hand and Flickers off with her.

"I'll tell you later. I just can't right now." She says in a voice barely above a whisper.

Naruto could tell that she was struggling not to cry. He sighs and wraps his arms around her. Whatever it was, it was bad. Suki didn't cry easily.

"It's alright. Whatever it is, we'll get through it. Believe it!" He says cheerfully.

"That whole believe it thing sounds as stupid today as it did when we were twelve, but I love you anyway." She mumbles as she buries her face in his neck.

She takes a deep breath and sighs as she inhales his scent. The feeling of Naruto's arms around her was just so soothing. Suki wasn't sure how, but she knew that somehow they would get through this. Together.


	15. Chapter 15

Primal

 **Author's Note:** Thanks for the reviews. I hope that you enjoy this chapter.

Naruto talking to Kyuubi in **bold**.

Kyuubi talking to Naruto in _**bold italics**_.

 **Chapter Notation:** I took some liberties with Kisame's reasons for joining the Akatsuki. That may or may not be cannon. As for the views expressed about ninja marriages, I made those up. They may or may not be accurate, but I feel that it makes the plot flow a bit more smoothly.

Chapter 15

It didn't take long for Suki and Naruto to head towards the Valley of the End. It was a disturbingly easy matter to knock out the ANBU ninjas. Suki was still amazed at how easily Naruto had dealt with the ANBUS, really.

Luckily for the ANBUS, Naruto was still Naruto. If given the choice, her blonde wouldn't kill. Her Mate had merely knocked them out and Suki was more than happy with that result.

"You're happy that I knocked them out?" Naruto asks in a surprise.

"Of course, I am. It's easier than having them tail us and trying to lose them later on. That and in a weird way, it's kinda hot." Suki informs him.

Naruto blinks. He'd never understand Suki sometimes. She thought it was hot that he knocked out the ANBUS? Well whatever worked for her.

 _ **"She'd never admit this. The woman is too proud, but most Mates do enjoy knowing that their Mate will fight for them."**_ Kurama tells him.

 **"Oh yeah. I'm definitely not going to tell her that you said that."** Naruto replies.

 _ **"Uchiha women are complicated creatures. They're proud and stubborn. Most of them adore having a protective Mate, but they also have a strong desire for their Mate to recognize they are capable of fending for themselves. Still I would rather deal with an Uchiha woman than someone like Madara Uchiha. I despised him."**_ The Nine Tails finishes with a snarl.

Naruto pauses as he considers that. Well that didn't sound like Suki. Still that did raise a lot of interesting questions. Just how well had Kurama known the Uchihas before the Massacre?

He had known for awhile that Madara had once controlled Kurama. The furball was still rather sore about that. Naruto also knew that Kurama wasn't exactly that fond of Suki's ancestor, but what about the other Uchihas?

"You're really weird sometimes." Naruto says as they wait at the Valley of the End.

"Well I never claimed to be normal and that's rich coming from the guy with the ramen fetish." Suki taunts him as her eyes scan their surroundings.

"Hey! Ramen is amazing. I'm serious, Suki. One day, you'll learn to appreciate the awesomeness that is ramen." He insists.

Suki playfully rolls her eyes in response. She knew what Naruto was doing and she appreciated it. Her Mate was trying to distract her from the millions of possibilities that were racing through her head.

If what Sai had said was true, that meant that Itachi wasn't solely responsible for the death of their clansmen and women. The Leaf had ordered nothing short of a genocide. That was a war crime.

 **"Damn. That's not good. She's slipping again."** Naruto murmurs to Kurama.

She was slipping back into what Naruto called the Darkness. Her thoughts sometimes became very angry or mournful. His Mate would sometimes retreat into a dark corner of her mind. The blonde really didn't like when that happened.

It was probably a good thing that they couldn't hear each other's thoughts. The emotions were potent enough. Naruto didn't need to hear the words to realize that she was lost in a sea of confusion. It literally felt like she was drowning in some ways.

"Suki, you still with me?" Naruto asks warily.

If it was true, she had absolutely no idea what she was going to do about it. Itachi had still killed them. He still had an ocean of blood on his hands, but Itachi might not have chosen to slaughter them. Did that make a difference?

It certainly didn't make their family any less dead. Their mother and father had still been murdered by their own son in cold blood. The fact that Itachi had possibly done it to prevent a war, didn't change that.

As she was pondering the matter, she was vaguely aware of the ball of light coming closer. In the distant corner of her mind, she could hear Naruto's voice. It grounded her.

"Yes, I'm fine. I just need to know if Sai told me the truth or not." The raven haired woman assures her.

Naruto mentally breathes a sigh of relief. Good. She hadn't slipped THAT far down yet. The last thing that he wanted was for them to become Mates, only to lose her to insanity.

"Don't worry. We'll find out." He promises as he laces his fingers with hers in a show of support.

Suki smiles back at him in response. He really was like her own personal Sun. Without him, Suki was almost positive that she would have become someone that she could scarcely recognize. A complete monster with only one goal. Destruction.

Meanwhile Itachi approaches the Valley of the End. He smirks when he senses Suki's chakra. His foolish little sister certainly wasn't trying to hide her presence. He didn't know whether to be proud of her defiance or cringe at her recklessness.

"Both, I suppose." He whispers to himself.

Itachi watches the Mates from a safe distance. They were just talking and holding hands. That was something of a relief. Naruto clearly did care about his sister.

He could only hope that the blonde would do a better job of protecting her than he had. Itachi had failed to protect her in every way, except for one. His sins had kept her alive, but at what cost?

"At least, she's not alone anymore." He mutters.

Naruto might give her what she needed. Love and a family. Itachi was her family and he loved his foolish little sister deeply, but he obviously wasn't in a position to give her what she needed. The world would be a far better place, once this sad chapter in their Clan's history was put to rest.

Danzo was gone now. He would follow him shortly. After that,, there would be only a handful of feeble elders who knew the truth. If nothing else, they'd all likely perish from old age soon.

"It's a small consolation, but a valid one." The Uchiha observes with a sigh.

Maybe, the Jinchuuriki would be able to do it. If Naruto became Hokage, perhaps it would never happen again. Their Clan would be allowed to flourish and start a brighter chapter. Suki could be happy and he wouldn't have to carry the weight of all these secrets anymore.

The Leaf would likely welcome them both back with open arms. After all, they had killed Orochimaru and him. He and the Sannin were two of the number one enemies of that village. They'd be celebrated as heroes.

"That and everyone loves a good love story." He murmurs.

There were times when Itachi wondered if the team formations were designed to help the seeds of romance bloom. It was almost always two boys for every girl. Predictably, one of those boys or the girl would almost inevitably develop feelings for one of their teammates. Every once in awhile, this resulted in a happy marriage with children.

Was the Leaf subtly trying to encourage ninjas to pair off to produce stronger ninjas in the future? It certainly wasn't unheard of for ninjas to marry civilians, but most ninjas preferred to be with other ninjas. It was only natural.

It was a rare civilian who could truly understand their lifestyle. Any ninja with even a shred of common sense realized that there was a very good chance that they might never reach their 20th birthday, let alone their 30th.

"After all, the Fourth died at twenty-four and he was one of the strongest ninjas to have ever lived. Considering that, I didn't have a bad run." He muses with a wistful smile as he decides to make his presence known.

Back in the Leaf, Tsunade frowns. None of Suki's ANBU Guards had reported in for a suspiciously long period of time. That was unusual and highly unprofessional.

The Leaf's ANBU were many things. Unprofessional wasn't one of them. That meant that something had happened. With that thought in mind, the Hokage cautiously heads to the Uchiha District.

"Damn it!" She hisses under her breath, once she arrives.

She didn't see any of the guards. That wasn't a good sign. Luckily, there was no real sign of destruction. So that probably meant that the ninjas were alive. Tsunade just had to find them.

The Hokage closes her eyes and tries to sense their chakra signatures. A few minutes later, she sighs in relief as she felt them. They were just inside Suki's home.

"They must have knocked them out and then taken off. Where would they have gone though?" Tsunade asks herself.

All of the ANBU members were laying on the floor of the house. It looked like Naruto and/or Suki had struck them all with a swift blow to the back of their head. As far as she could tell, no permanent damage had been done.

"He might have used clones. That would explain how they were able to neutralize all of them so quickly. These kids are getting far too powerful." The blonde observes in horror.

Danzo was dead because of them. Even into his seventies, the man had been a formidable ninja. While she had no love for the elderly fighter, Tsunade never would have called him weak. The fact that Suki and Naruto had killed him was as impressive as it was terrifying, really.

"As long as they have each other, it shouldn't be a problem. God help us all, if something happens to one of them though." She sighs and looks around the house.

Surely, there had to be a clue. It didn't take a genius to realize why they had left. The Mates must have left to find Itachi. Judging by the sudden way they had taken off, she could only assume that they had a specific location in mind.

Somehow they must have figured out where he went. Naturally, Suki and Naruto were going to rush off after him. It was more likely than not, that they were doing so without any real plan to boot.

"Damn it!" She snarls as she punches the wall in frustration.

The wall cracks badly and Tsunade is forced to retreat her hand. It was now bloodied and bruised. That hadn't been the smartest way she could have chosen to vent her frustration in hindsight.

"Where would Itachi have gone?" She asks herself.

If he was smart, he would stay far away from the Fire Nation. That still left four Great Nations, the neutral territories, and the Island Nations though. Itachi Uchiha could truly be anywhere.

She didn't even know where to begin looking. That was perhaps the most frustrating part of all this. The Hokage constantly felt like she was one step behind all three of them.

"I'll send out whatever teams I can spare to cover as much ground as possible. For now, it's all that I can realistically do." The Hokage decides and with that, she heads off to put her plan into motion.

Unbeknownst to the Hokage, Itachi Uchiha had already found his foolish little sister and her Mate. At that very moment, he flares his chakra to get their attention. It certainly elicited the desired result.

 _CRUNCH!_ Almost before Itachi could blink, Naruto comes flying at him in a rage. The gravely ill ninja had always prided himself on his speed, but the blonde clearly had righteous fury on his side.

"Suki is this what you have been reduced to? You're going to have him fight your battles for you? I confess myself rather disappointed." Itachi says as he nurses his likely cracked rib.

Naruto's punch had been aimed at his chest, but Itachi had managed to dodge ever so slightly at the last minute. That might be a good thing. Such a hit might have triggered cardiac arrest in his condition.

Itachi didn't want Naruto to kill him. Suki had to be the one to do it. Otherwise, she would never achieve closure.

"Don't treat me like an ignorant child! While were waiting for you to arrive, we had a discussion with the members of ROOT. I'm certain that you're familiar with the organization. Danzo's lapdogs." Suki hisses at Itachi as she flickers to his side.

Itachi's eyes widen in realization. Had ROOT told her the truth? The higher level members might know, but could they tell her?

Danzo was famous for his abilities with Seals. One of them he placed on the tongue of ROOT Members. They couldn't spill the organization's secrets. Had the Seal disappeared with his death though?

"It's true then. I can tell by the look on your face. You were ordered to kill them. You were ordered by the Leaf to butcher every single member of our Clan." Suki seethes as she clutches her fists.

She clutches them so tightly that her nails dig into her skin. She could feel the blood slowly slide down her hands. That didn't matter to her. The pain was the only thing grounding her in reality.

"Is it true?!" Naruto growls at Itachi.

He could feel Suki's rage. It was white hot and burned like magma. Suki was a volcano and there was about to be an explosion. Her fury was almost tangible. He could FEEL it in his bones.

"Why would you believe them? What would the Leaf gain from ordering the genocide of one of their strongest Clans? Our Clan helped to found the Leaf. We ran the Military Police Force. Our Sharingans and other skills were a great asset to that village. Why would you believe that the Leaf would discard such useful tools?" Itachi replies.

Perhaps he could get away with denying it. There was a chance he could fool them. After all, he had fooled Suki for years as to his true intentions. He could do it again.

 **"Kurama, can you tell if he's lying?"** Naruto asks.

 _ **"He's lying. He's a skilled liar. His face and voice betrays nothing, but one can never hide their scent. He smells of deception."**_ Kurama replies.

Naruto pauses as he considers the Nine Tail's words. Technically, Itachi wasn't lying. Not yet. He was asking questions, but he was at the very least dodging.

The young ninja doubted that would make a difference to his Mate. To Suki, that was a distinction without a difference. That magma was burning even hotter now. She didn't believe him.

"Those are all good points. It's not uncommon for villages to regard their ninjas as tools. Some ninjas even view themselves that way, but a tool is only useful as long as you can control it. Sai mentioned a coup." Suki says.

Itachi's eyes narrow. If he survived this somehow, he was going to hunt Sai down. He'd gut the man like a fish.

That ROOT Member was meddling in things that he didn't have any right to involve himself in. He decides to put that thought to the back of his mind for the moment. He had to focus on Suki and Naruto, right now.

"Again, why would you believe him?" Itachi asks.

"Somehow I don't think that you killed Danzo for no reason. I was interrogating him when you intervened. You wouldn't have intervened, if he wasn't going to tell me something important. It's true." Suki whispers.

Damn it. She knew. There was no taking it back. He glances at her warily, unsure of what to do.

His path before him had been so simple. He would allow Suki to kill him and then she could start over. Now, Itachi wasn't sure that was still an option.

"No more evasions? Good. Hopefully, the Leaf will be as smart as you are. You killed them on the Leaf's orders. I think that it's time to drag the Leaf's skeletons out of the closet." Suki says as she activates her Eternal Mangekyo Sharingan.

"Suki, don't be foolish. While it's impressive that you managed to get a more mature Sharingan, I have had time to refine mine. You barely know how to use yours. This is not a fight that you can win." Itachi tells her.

That did it. Naruto lunges at Itachi and slams him into a tree. The jinchuuriki quickly rips off his sleeve and ties it around his eyes. That was the real threat from Itachi. His eyes.

"You're smarter than I thought, but there's nothing to keep me from removing the blindfold." Itachi muses.

"I wouldn't be so sure about that." Suki says as she flickers behind him and radiates Chidori in her hands.

Once her hands touched his, she knew what would happen. He would be temporarily paralyzed in his hands. The nerves were overloaded. They had shut down.

"I have to admit that the team work is impressive. I suppose that's to be expected from Mates." He grunts in pain and then launches into a bloody coughing fit.

"Killing you isn't going to be nearly as satisfying, if I do it when your half dead." Suki growls at him.

Naruto blinks. Suki still wanted to kill him? Did she mean it or was she just saying that to scare Itachi?

 _ **"At the moment, she's bluffing. Her emotions are all over the place. I'm not entirely certain that your Mate knows what she wants to do with him."**_ Kurama says.

"I have to admit that it will be more difficult to beat the two of you blindfolded and without the use of my hands, but I can manage." Itachi says between coughs.

Suki's eyes narrow. Itachi had lied to her. He had lied to her, her entire life. He wasn't a Clan Slayer though. Well at least not by choice.

What did that mean though? The man standing before her was still her beloved brother. Her beloved brother who had been forced to do horrible things. In Itachi's mind, he had potentially prevented another Great War.

A Great where it was likely tens of thousands or even hundreds of thousands of people might die. In the grand scheme of thing, he had taken hundreds of lives to save many more. Itachi wasn't evil, but could she really forgive him?

"Now that the Leaf isn't ordering it, would you really do it? Could you kill your own sister? That's assuming you can even stand, let alone fight. You're not the villain. You're the victim in this story." Suki says.

"I was never the victim. I willingly killed them all. I would do it again, if I had to. It's regrettable, but their lives were not more precious than all the lives that would have been lost in the resulting war. You should still despise me, Suki." Itachi says.

"I don't know what I feel towards you at the moment, but I do know one thing. I'm not going to let them get away with this." She says and with that, Suki slams her fist into the back of Itachi's head.

Her brother clearly hadn't been expecting that. He begins to sink to the ground, but the last female Uchiha catches him. He was too ill. If he was going to survive the journey back to the Leaf, a concussion was not going to be helpful.

"Suki?" Naruto asks uncertainly.

"We're taking him back to the Leaf. I don't know what I'm going to do about him, but I want everyone to know what happened to our family. I want to know why my Clan plotted a coup. I want them to suffer." She practically snarls.

Naruto could picture the panther in his mind. It was clear as day. The animal was snarling and hissing. It's jaws and claws extended. It was ready to go in for a kill, but it was a targeted hunt.

Suki didn't want to destroy the entire life. Not exactly. She wanted to humiliate it. If the other villages found out that a genocide was ordered by the Leaf, that would be a serious blow to the Leaf's reputation.

"Are you sure that this is what you want to do? Once something like this gets out there, there isn't any going back." Naruto whispers.

"I'm sure. That's the only way my family will ever be able to rest in peace. It's the only way that we can ever really be sure. The only way that we can be sure they won't just do it again. Next time, it could be OUR child who is ordered to carry out such atrocities to protect that village. I won't let that happen." Suki promises him.

A few hundred feet away, Kisame watches the scene unfold. It looked like Itachi's kid sister knew the truth now. His partner was still alive, so that was a good sign.

Normally, the Akatsuki Member wasn't really a big believer in happy endings. Still some part of him, did want that for his partner. That and he didn't really care about the Akatsuki.

He had nothing else to do. Taking over the world with the Tailed Beasts sounded like a grand idea at the time. Besides, it wasn't very likely that he could live a normal life. His appearance made that highly unlikely.

"That's a good point, but you're forgetting something." Kisame says as he approaches them.

"Damn it! It's his partner!" Suki snarls as she locks her eyes on the blue skinned ninja.

"Cool it, kid. I'm not here to fight. If you want him to live long enough to testify against the Leaf Village or whatever you are planning, you're going to need me. You don't know what's wrong with him. I do. You don't have any actual proof of what the Leaf ordered it, do you?" Kisame asks.

Suki and Naruto frown. That was true. The only proof that she had was the word of ROOT Members and Itachi.

ROOT wasn't going to testify against their own village lightly. It was likely they had already run away from the Leaf or taken other measures to prevent them from talking. That meant that she had to rely on Itachi's testimony.

"You're right. We don't. Why should we trust you?" Suki demands.

"Because if I wanted, I could have killed you both while you were distracted with ease. I don't really like poison. It's the coward's way out, but it would have been really easy to sneak up on the two of you and sliced you to ribbons with my Samehada." Kisame says.

"With your what?!" Naruto demands in confusion.

Suki sighs as she considers what the other ninja was saying. Kisame certainly had the opportunity to kill them. He hadn't taken it. Was it possible that on some level, the man cared about her brother? Were they actually friends? Did the strange looking man view Itachi as his comrade?

"Samehada is the name of his sword." Suki explains.

"That THING has a name?!" Naruto exclaims incredulously.

Kisame glares at Naruto. He didn't care for someone speaking so disrespectfully about his blade. Samehada was not a thing. It possessed at least something of a consciousness.

"Of course, it has a name and it's a lot more alive than any blade you've ever thrown." The Akatsuki member snaps at him.

"Whatever. If you two are done bickering, let's get back to the Leaf. Kisame, if you betray us, I will turn you into shark finned soup. Just so you know." Suki says as she flits off with her Mate, carrying Itachi in her arms.

"Oh yeah. She's definitely Itachi's kid sister." Kisame muses with a smirk, before taking off after them.


	16. Chapter 16

Primal

 **Author's Note:** Thanks for the reviews. I hope you all enjoy this chapter.

Naruto talking to Kyuubi in **bold**.

Kyuubi talking to Naruto in _**bold italics**_

 **Chapter Notation:** Suki's answer may seem out of character, but I hope that the explanation makes it an acceptable one to everyone.

Chapter 16

"You know this would be a lot easier, if you used a Transformation Jutsu. Kisame, you stick out like a sore thumb. We'll never make it to the Hokage's Office without someone trying to stop us." Suki says.

The strange group had been traveling for awhile now. Naruto, Suki, Kisame, and Itachi were almost upon the Leaf. It was likely another ten minutes away at most. They could probably just Flicker there, really.

"Meh. You can just pretend that the two of you have taken us prisoners. That should impress them long enough for you to do whatever you've got in mind, Princess. I'm sure that you have something quite dramatic planned. This should be funny. It's like a tiger shark trying to attack a whale." The Akatsuki Member observes.

 _ **"He's going to become shark finned soup at this rate. I like him though. Another predator."**_ Kurama comments.

Naruto rubs the back of his head sheepishly. Kurama could be weird sometimes. He liked Kisame because he was another predator. Yeah. That was bizarre.

"I'm glad you're entertained." Suki says dryly as she glances at her Mate.

Suki smiles. Naruto was always there for her. It didn't matter what happened, her Sun never completely left her. Not even when they were miles apart. She knew that she was always in his thoughts and he was always in hers.

 **"Yeah. I'm really happy about the Mating Bond. I never would have realized that she was thinking that way about me without it."** Naruto says.

For the moment, he decides to ignore the Nine Tails comments on Kisame. His Mate was feeling rather affectionate towards him. There was nothing better than basking in the love of his beautiful Mate.

"Oh yeah. You're Itachi's kid sister, alright. Same type of sense of humor, if you can call it that." Kisame says casually.

Kisame really creeped Naruto out. He really was alike an animal that somehow figured out how to talk. The sooner they got rid of the shark, the better in his opinion. Oh and those teeth looked lethal.

"Well we could try to walk into the village, but people would notice. They'd stop us and ask us questions if we were lucky. If we weren't lucky, they'd assume we were enemy ninjas. A message might be better." Suki says.

Naruto nods. He quickly summons two of his medium sized toads. They'd be able to get in and out of there without too much trouble.

"Got it." The Jinchuuriki says proudly.

"Toads? So Jirayia really did teach this brat. I never understood the toad thing. They're ugly as Hell." Kisame muses.

"YOU'RE ONE TO TALK!" Naruto and the toads exclaim outrage as Suki proceeds to write her note.

Ninjas could be an eccentric lot. Suki knew that. So it wasn't really a surprise that the toads, Naruto, and Kisame were bickering over looks.

It didn't matter though. What was important right now as that they needed to get in touch with Tsunade. Preferably, without causing a scene.

"What's up Boss? Why are you traveling with an Akatsuki Member?!" The toads demand.

"Well it's a really long story. Can you take this scroll to Granny Tsunade?" the blue eyed ninja asks as he takes Suki's scroll from her and hands it to his Summons.

"Sure thing, Boss. You really need to explain what is going on later though. This is really weird." The brother toads say as they hope off.

Suki tilts her head to the side curiously. She didn't understand why Naruto had Summoned two toads when one would have been enough. The young woman decides to ask.

"Why'd you Summon more than one?" The raven haired ninja haired ninja inquires.

"Oh. Well they're brothers. They do everything together. Really, those two are kinda a package deal." Naruto explains with a grin.

"Awe. That's sweet. Got yourself a real softie for a boyfriend there, Princess." Kisame says and Suki promptly rolls her eyes in response.

Honestly, she was beginning to wonder why Itachi hadn't killed Kisame long before now? He obviously didn't have an issue with killing when he viewed it as necessary. So why had he kept Fish Face around?

Meanwhile the toads arrive in Tsunade's Office. They call out anxiously behind her door. It didn't take long for the busty blonde to sigh and open the door.

"I recognize both of you. Where's Naruto?!" She demands.

Tsunade was very familiar with Toad Summons. Jirayia had a Summoning Contract with them. Orochimaru had his snakes and she had her slugs. The Hokage wasn't entirely certain how, but somehow Jirayia had ended up with toads.

"He told us to give you this scroll." The yellow toad says as Tsunade leans down and grabs the scroll.

The female ninja quickly reads it and blinks. That was unexpected. Suki and Naruto had returned to the Leaf voluntarily. Not only that, they were claiming to have captured two members of the Akatskui.

 _ **Dear Lady Hokage,**_

 _ **We request that you meet us in the Forest of Death immediately. Naruto and I have apprehended Itachi Uchiha and Kisame. There is much that we have to discuss with you.**_

 _ **We thought that it would be best to meet in the Forest. Kisame's exotic looks make him too easily recognizable. In the interest of not causing a panic, I hope that you will meet us there.**_

 _ **Sincerely, Suki and Naruto.**_

"Unbelievable. Not only did they kill Orochimaru and Danzo, they've captured multiple Akatsuki Members. These kids are dangerous." She mutters.

That was when she notices that the toads were watching her rather anxiously. She sighs and decides to reassure them. After all, it wasn't their fault that they had been chosen to deliver the message. There was no need to keep them in the dark and cause them unnecessary anxiety.

"I'll go and meet with them. You don't need to worry." She says and with that, Tsunade swiftly departs for the Forest of Death.

A few minutes later, the Hokage arrives. She could only hope that the forest's name wouldn't turn out to be a bad omen for their meeting. With that thought in mind, the blonde quickly scans her surroundings and tries to sense their chakra signatures.

"I'm glad that you came." She hears a feminine voice call out to her.

Immediately, Tsunade whirls around. She comes face to face with the demonic ruby red eyes of Suki Uchiha. Her Sharingan was now an Eternal Mangekyo. That wasn't good a good sign.

"Suki." The blonde replies curtly.

"Don't worry, Granny Tsunade. We don't want to fight. Well at least we don't want to fight you." Naruto promises.

Tsunade sighs in relief. Well Naruto was with her. That meant that she wasn't too far gone yet. The lovable knucklehead was many things, but a cold-blooded killer wasn't one of them.

"You might want to sit down for this one. This is going to be one Hell of a show. Damn. I wish I had popcorn." Kisame says.

Her eyes widen. Kisame wasn't restrained. The Criminal Ninja was just standing a few feet away from the Mates as if it was the most natural thing in the world to do so. Had they become allies?!

"Don't worry about Fish Breath. He's just here to make sure that Itachi doesn't die before the truth is known." Naruto assures her.

Kisame were there to protect Itachi? That didn't make any sense. Why would Suki and Naruto want Itachi to live? The young woman had been trying to kill him for a decade.

"While Naruto and I were fighting Danzo, Itachi killed him with poison. He did so to prevent me from finding out the truth. So I had a discussion with some associates of Danzo. Without their Seal, they were more talkative than I expected. The conversation was most enlightening." Suki says as she twirls her sword in her hand.

Tsunade feels her blood run cold at that explanation. She wasn't entirely certain what Suki thought she knew, but she was familiar with ROOT. The Hokage was actually far more familiar with that organization than she would like to be.

If ROOT was involved, she knew one thing. Whatever the last female Uchiha had been told, hadn't been good news. It was also sufficiently shocking that Suki was willing to seek HER out. That was another bad sign. Tsunade most certainly didn't like where this was going.

"And what did Danzo's Associates tell you?" She dares herself to ask.

"That Itachi killed my family, but it wasn't by choice. He was ordered to do so. After decades of discrimination, they had enough. They plotted a coup. The Leaf struck first though. Of course, the Leaf is a cowardly village. It had a thirteen year old boy slaughter his entire Clan. I guess the Leaf just couldn't handle doing their own dirty work. That or they were too scared to stand up against the Uchiha Clan on their own." Suki seethes at her.

Tsunade blinks. She had never heard of such a thing. Unfortunately, she doubted Suki was lying. The young woman really believed that this had happened.

Sadly, Tsunade knew what Danzo was like. There was a very good chance that Suki had every right to believe the words that the ROOT Members had told her. After all, why would they lie to her about something like that?

"Do you have any proof of this?" The Hokage demands.

Naruto growls in annoyance. He didn't like the fact that Tsunade didn't believe Suki. Why would she make something like that up?!

Suki sighs and intertwines her fingers with Naruto's. She gives him a reassuring smile. The ball of light was lashing out inside her mind. It was only a matter of time before Naruto did something stupid.

It was best to cut that off now. She loved how protective Naruto was of her. Really, it was sweet. At the moment though, they had to proceed carefully and cautiously.

"Well I suppose we could find the ROOT Member that told me, but I imagine they have all defected from the Leaf by now. That and I have Itachi. He's currently unconscious. I figure that he could be interrogated though, if he decides not to be cooperative." Suki replies.

"That's right! One way or another, we are going to find out the truth. Come on, Granny Tsunade. Help us out!" Naruto says.

Naruto smiles back at Suki. He could feel that his Mate was trying to calm him. That and the touch of her hand really did work wonders.

Granny Tsunade was as good person. Sure, she was grumpy sometimes. That and she drank too much. Oh and she was also a compulsive gambler. None of that really mattered though, she was a good person and Naruto had faith that she would do the right thing.

"Alright. We'll take him to be interrogated. Ibiki is the best in the business. If anyone can figure out what is going on in that head of his, he can. Though I'm not going to let another Akatsuki Member just walk around the village. Kisame will have to be restrained." The Hokage insists as she takes out a pair of chakra cuffs.

"Well you're a bit older than the type I usually go for. Still I love a woman who knows how to use handcuffs!" The shark toothed man says.

 _ **SMACK!**_ The Hokage sends her fist flying at Kisame and the man smashes backwards into a tree. The busty blonde twitches, once he lands and quickly cuffs him.

"Pervert." Tsunade mutters in disgust.

"He deserved that one." Naruto to Suki and the raven haired woman nods her head in agreement.

Honestly, what did he think was going to happen after saying that to Tsunade? The man was quite lucky to be alive, really. Though the whole handcuff thing did have possibilities. Hmm.

"Sheesh! It was a joke!" Kisame mutters as his cheek begins to rapidly swell.

"Well I'm not laughing." She growls at him as the group make their way to the Interrogation Unit.

Tsunade had her hands full. She had to keep her eyes on Kisame and the couple. Thankfully, it looked like Suki and Naruto weren't planning on attacking the Leaf. At least not at the moment, though she knew that could change at any time.

"Kisame came to keep Itachi alive long enough for the truth to come out. What's wrong with him?" Tsunade demands as they enter the Unit.

"We aren't really sure. He's horribly sick though. Whatever it is, I think it's terminal." Suki states.

 _ **"That would be ironic, if he died of natural causes. Your Mate has been trying to avenge her Clan for years by killing him, only to find out that he's gravely ill. If that happens, you'll need to proceed carefully. She's going to need your support."**_ Kurama says.

Naruto could only nod in agreement. He didn't know what Suki would do, if Itachi ended up dying of natural causes. Would she be happy, relived, sad, or furious? Knowing Suki, it would probably be a combination of all of the above though.

"Ibiki, I need you to interrogate Itachi Uchiha. Once he wakes, you are to question him about the Uchiha Massacre. Find out why he did it." Tsunade says.

Ibiki's eyes widen when he saw two members of the Akatsuki brought in. Only one of them was unconscious though. Well at least the second was restrained by chakra cuffs. Still that was very dangerous.

What could have possibly motivated Lady Tsunade to take such a risk? Those two were Criminal Ninjas. S Ranked ones at that. Had she lost her mind?

"Of course, Lady Tsunade. I will carry out your orders." He states, trying to mask his shock.

He was a professional. Ibiki was as professional who now had his orders. It didn't matter how or why Itachi had ended up here, but he was going to find out the truth. That was his mission and Ibiki would complete it successfully.

"It's not going to be easy. My brother is a Master at Genjutsu. He's likely got all sorts of protections in place for his mind and countermeasures." Suki warns Ibiki.

"Oh yes. I assumed as much. That's alright. I'm looking forward to this challenge." Ibiki says with a smirk as he straps Itachi down.

"As for Kisame, he can tell us how to care for Itachi from a prison cell. You two are to go to the Uchiha District and stay there until Ibiki is done. Do I make myself clear?!" Tsunade snaps at the happy couple.

"Yeah. Yeah! Don't worry. We aren't going anywhere." Naruto says.

Suki nods in agreement. After promising to stay in the Leaf, the two of them hastily head back to the Uchiha District. Suki sighs as they head inside their home. She still couldn't fully process everything that had happened.

"Do you think that ROOT was telling the truth?" Naruto whispers to Suki as he wraps his arms around her in a tight embrace.

His Mate needed him right now. She was far too proud to say so, but he could feel it. Thank goodness for the Mating Bond.

"I think so. Itachi wouldn't have killed Danzo without a good reason. Danzo was too well known. He's was an important figure in this village. If what Sai told us is true though, Itachi would have had to kill him. There wouldn't have been any other way to preserve the Leaf's dirty little secret." She mutters bitterly and leans into the loving arms of her Mate.

"Yeah. I think it's the truth too. What do you want to do, if it is true though?" The blonde asks cautiously.

Hopefully, Suki wasn't about to go on some murderous rampage. She had a temper at the best of times. If she found out that her brother had been forced to commit genocide against their own Clan, the panther would show its claws and fangs. No doubt about it.

"Humiliate them. I want the world to know what the Leaf is truly capable of. Destroying their buildings or killing people will just make them into victims. I'm not going to allow that. Though I am going to slaughter every single member of the Council. There will be nothing left of them to bury, when I'm done with them." Suki answers him.

Lying to Naruto was pointless. He'd feel it through their connection and Suki didn't want to lie to him. He was the one person who truly understood her in this world. She wasn't going to sour that by lying to him.

"You mean when WE are done with them. I'm not going to let you kill innocent people Suki, but these people aren't innocent. They turned a kid into a murderer and covered up the truth for years. I doubt that your family were the only people that they've done stuff like this to before." Naruto says.

Suki smiles. She couldn't believe that Naruto understood. Though perhaps it wasn't surprising. He was her Mate. Someone had hurt her. She would do the same for him.

It was a primal need really. The need to protect yourself and your loved ones. The need to punish those who had hurt you. It was an animalistic instinct. Seductive in its simplicity.

"You're right. They probably have." She says with a sigh.

"What do you think they'll do to Kisame?" Naruto asks, deciding to change the subject.

He really didn't think that it was healthy to have his Mate constantly brooding about all of this. A subject change might be helpful. That and they had to pass the time somehow.

"I don't think they'll kill him. Well they won't kill him yet, anyway. He's too useful. Kisame knows a great deal about the Akatsuki. They'll want to extract that information from him first." Suki reasons.

"Yeah. That's a good point. So what do you want to do when this all over? Did you just want to go back to being a Leaf Ninja?" Naruto asks.

Suki sighs. She didn't really know what she wanted to do. If it was true, could she really go back to fighting for the Leaf? Could she knowingly fight for the village that had ordered the deaths of her family?

It was difficult to imagine doing that. On the other hand, her family might have been planning a Coup. The Council was launching a preemptive strike. It was self-defense in a way.

"I don't know." She whispers as she kisses Naruto.

Naruto kisses back and holds her more closely. He could feel the panther pacing. It was confused. Overwhelmed.

A flood of emotions were whirling inside the creature with such astonishing speed that it was almost impossible to distinguish one from the other. Mostly though, he could just sense that Suki felt _lost._ For once, Suki didn't have a concrete plan and that obviously terrified her.

"Well what do you WANT to do?" Naruto asks.

"Depending on the answers that Ibiki provides us with, I want to either kill Itachi or the Council. Once that's over, I think I'll retire from active duty combat." She says.

Naruto blinks. Wait. What?! Suki wanted to retire before she was twenty?! He couldn't imagine it.

Suki was not someone who would be content as a Civilian. There were other types of Ninja Specializations though. Medics, trackers, interrogators, instructors, and so forth. Maybe, she wanted become another kind of ninja?

"What do you mean?" He asks in confusion.

"Money's not an issue with me. I inherited all my Clan's assets. I don't need to be an active duty Combat Ninja, if I don't want to. Nor do I need to find a Civilian job or another specialization. I'm tired of fighting. I wasted three years doing that. I don't want to waste anymore." She says simply.

Naruto couldn't really believe he was hearing this! Suki wanted to retire. After everything, she didn't want to be a ninja anymore?

"I get being tired of fighting, but it'll be different now. You're home. You'd be fighting for your village. Could you really be happy with just staying home? Wouldn't you get bored?" He asks.

"I'd possibly be fighting for the village that ordered the genocide of my family. I don't want to fight for them, if that's the case. My mother was a housewife and a Matriarch. She seemed to enjoy that role. Perhaps, I will as well." Suki continues.

Naruto still wasn't really sure what a Clan Matriarch actually did. He decides that it was polite to just nod his head. Suki would likely explain later.

"That and I'll have my hands full with you and rebuilding my family's reputation. You would be surprised at how much work a Clan Matriarch does, really." She finishes with a smile.

Naruto tilts his head to the side as he considers that. It wasn't that there was anything wrong with being a housewife. He just never thought that Suki of all people would want to do that.

"Well that's true. I don't mind, if you want to just take it easy after all this. Definitely not going to complain to coming home to seeing you in that apron, every day. I'm just kinda surprised that this is what you want." He tells her.

Suki smiles. It didn't take a genius to figure out why her answer had thrown Naruto for a loop. That was alright though.

"Besides, I have you. Boredom is impossible with you. I'd still train, of course. I like pushing myself. I like getting stronger, but I'm not going to do this village's dirty work anymore. Not if I find out that they ordered my family to be put to death by one of our own. How could I possibly fight for the Leaf, knowing that?" She whispers.

Naruto winces. That was a good point. He hadn't really thought of it that way. If there roles were reversed and he discovered that the Leaf had ordered the death of his parents, he wouldn't want to fight for them either.

"Yeah. I'll just have to make sure that you don't get bored. The last thing that anyone needs is a bored Uchiha. I hear that they are one of the most dangerous species out there. More terrifying than even Fish Faces!" He teases her.

"Cute, loser. Really cute." Suki says as she shakes her head at her Mate's antics.

She wasn't sure what would happen, but she did know one thing. Suki had Naruto. That was really all that she needed at the moment.

They were going to find out the truth. If the Council had sanctioned genocide, she was going to make sure that the rest of the world knew it. They would go to their deaths disgrace. There names would never be written on the Memorial Stone. She would make sure of that.

"Yeah. I thought so. Uchihas might not have teeth as sharp as Kisame's, but I hear they bite harder!" He continues, trying to prevent Suki from slipping back into the Darkness.

"Mmm that's very true. You ought to know. I did bite you, after all." Suki says with a smirk.

Mission accomplished. For the moment, Suki was still with him. He just hoped that she stayed that way, after the truth was revealed.


	17. Chapter 17

Primal

 **Author's Note:** Thanks for the reviews. I hope you all enjoy this chapter.

Naruto talking to Kyuubi in **bold**.

Kyuubi talking to Naruto in _**bold italics.**_

 **Chapter Notation:** I gave Ibiki a new ability in this chapter. Well at least I believe it's new. I doubt it's cannon. Anyway, I hope you all have fun reading about it.

Chapter 17

Days. It had been days since Suki and Naruto had brought Itachi back to the Leaf Village. Whatever secrets he was hiding, he was hiding them with every ounce of determination that he possessed.

"Should we go and check on Kisame? It's probably going to be awhile before Ibiki can make him confess." Naruto asks his Mate.

"Yeah. That might be a good idea." Suki concedes as she takes her Mate's hand in her own and the two walk off together.

Together. They were always together now. Almost everything was as it should be. They just needed undeniable proof that the Massacre had been ordered and then the couple would ensure that justice was served.

Suki glances at Naruto and sighs softly. She was constantly "checking" on him. Would Naruto change his mind at the last minute? Would he show pity or mercy towards the Council?

She didn't know and that thought terrified her. If Naruto truly objected, the raven haired woman didn't know what she would do. Could she go against her Mate's wishes? Could she allow the murderers to go unpunished?

 _ **"Your Mate is spiraling again."**_ Kurama warns Naruto.

 **"Yeah. I know, but she has a damn good reason to spiral and I'm spiraling too. I can't believe this! The Leaf ordered someone to kill their own family!"** Naruto thunders in outrage.

Suki stops and turns to Naruto. She could sense it. The ball of light was lashing out in fury. His rage was a reflection of her own.

"Whatever happens, we'll find a way to deal with it. Don't worry so much about me. I have you. That's all I really need a the moment." She whispers, before kissing him.

Naruto kisses back and pushes her up against the wall. He liked pinning her and pushing her against things. He knew that it was stupid, but it made the blonde feel like she couldn't run off again.

They were Mates now. He knew that Suki loved him. She just had a messed up way of showing it, but that didn't stop him from worry that she might run off again.

"Mmm I give you an inch and you try to take the Fire Nation." Suki whispers breathlessly, after breaking the kiss.

"I could take the whole Five Nations, if you'd let me. We still haven't had our Honeymoon yet." He tell sher with a grin.

"Mmm. The whole Five Nations? Now I'm trembling with excitement." She purrs in his ear seductively, before licking at it.

She never would have thought that Naruto of all people would be such a lustful creature. Suki had decided to pawn it off to the fact that he had two extremely perverted instructors and a fox demon inside him. Really, either of those things might be the cause for his deviancy.

"Yeah. Definitely the whole Five Nations." Naruto agrees.

Hmm. He knew that he was forgetting about something. Naruto just couldn't bring himself to care though. The blonde would remember later.

For now, he had a beautiful Mate pinned to the wall. A beautiful Mate who was apparently feeling flirtatious. The rest of the world could wait as far as he was concerned.

"Well I didn't really expect a show!" Kisame calls out.

Oh damn it. That was right. They were going to see Kisame and were now standing outside the prison. Apparently, close enough to the window of Kisame's cell that the Akatsuki member could see them making out. That was embarrassing.

"You wish." Suki retorts without baiting an eyelash.

 _ **"There is something very attractive about a confident female. The woman certainly isn't easily embarrassed."**_ Kurama observes.

 **"Yeah. I guess that's one way to look at it. I can't believe Fish Face saw us like that though. He's never going to let us live it down."** Naruto replies with a groan.

That was all he needed. He needed Kisame to taunt Suki about their relationship and make her less cuddly. Damn Fish Face!

"Naruto, I'm not embarrassed that he saw us." Suki assures him as they head into the building to see Itachi's partner in crime.

"Oh well good. I don't really want my Five Nations Privileges taken away, when I just got them." Naruto says.

Suki snorts in amusement as they walk towards Kisame's cell. Naruto was Naruto. It didn't matter what the situation was. He would always find a way to make it comical.

"Hey, lovebirds. What's going on? I've been in here a few days." Kisame taunts them.

"It's taking them awhile to crack Itachi. He might be sick physically, but his mind is as resolute as ever." Suki admits.

She didn't know why she was telling Kisame that. He wasn't their ally. Not really. For whatever reason, he was attempting to help his partner though. So maybe subconsciously, Suki was hoping he'd be able to help them get Itachi to talk.

"Yeah. That man is a vault." The former Mist Ninja observes.

Suki couldn't argue with that. It was certainly an accurate label. Unfortunately, it wasn't going to help them get what they wanted.

"So do you know any way to make him talk? This would be a lot easier, if he would just fess up to it." Naruto says.

Kisame sighs. Itachi might be able to survive this. Suki could have killed him by now, if she truly wanted to. Hell, she could have had Blondie do it for her, but she hadn't. That meant that there was a chance to save his partner.

"I might have an idea. It'd be fighting pretty dirty though." The man says, after thinking about it for a moment.

"An Akatsuki Member is worried about fighting too dirty?" Suki asks with a raised eyebrow.

Kisame chuckles. Yeah. This kid was definitely Itachi's sister. The same dry skepticism that was likely the closet thing she had to a sense of humor.

"There was this girl that he used to like. She was another Uchiha. Her name was Izumi. If the interrogator got into his head and made Itachi think he was her, it might work." Kisame reasons.

Suki frowns. She remembered Izumi. Well a little bit. She and Itachi had once been on the same team. Had she been Itachi's girlfriend? She wasn't sure.

If she had been though, that would mean that her brother had killed her. She was an Uchiha. The girl would have died in the Massacre. That meant Itachi would feel tremendously guilty and he might talk.

"You're right. That's fighting pretty dirty. Suki?" Naruto asks uncertainly.

"I don't like it. We'll save it as a last resort." Suki says with a sigh as she crosses her arms as if trying to shield herself from that possibility.

She didn't know what to think about Itachi anymore. He had prevented a war, but he had also killed her family. Should she view him as a hero or still be angry with him? Did the ends justify the means?

It was all so much easier when he was the villain. When Suki had thought he killed their family by choice, everything had been in black and white. Good vs. evil. Simple. Sadly, she was now swimming in an endless sea of gray and the youngest Uchiha didn't know what to do about that.

"Alright. Do you wanna check on Ibiki and see if he's made any progress?" Naruto asks.

"Yeah. Kisame has told us what he knows. There's no point in standing around and socializing." Suki says.

"Ouch. That hurt, Princess! Don't you want to be friends? We can do each other's hair." Kisame says mockingly and Suki makes a rather rude gesture with her hand in response, before leaving with her Mate.

Meanwhile Itachi's eyes had glazed over. The interrogation was almost endless. The only time it passed was when Ibiki had to eat or things of that nature. The man was good at his job, Itachi had to give him that.

That meant that he had to be even better. It was difficult, but he liked to think that he was holding his own. He was sure that if he wasn't, Ibiki would have stopped by now. It was unlikely he would continue such a grueling interrogation, once he had what he needed.

"You are the most stubborn man that I've ever met. If you just tell me what I need to know or show me, I can stop. You don't have to endure this." Ibiki informs him for what seemed like the thousandth time.

"Thank you, but I'm afraid I can not do that. I am attempting to protect this village. You would thank me, if you knew the truth." Itachi says as he closes his eyes.

Perhaps if he closed his eyes, that would block the barrage of mental images that Ibiki was sending at him to a certain extent. He needed every advantage that he could get. Tragically, Itachi knew that he was just stalling for time.

If Ibiki knew the truth, he would leave him be. He didn't though. The other man didn't know the horrors and the secrets that existed in the deepest recesses of his mind and Itachi was going to do his best to ensure that it stayed that way.

"You're a Clan Slayer and a Criminal Ninja. Somehow, I doubt that your motives are entirely pure." Ibiki hisses at him.

This man must surely be a demon. He had tried everything that he could think of. Techniques that had broken even the most fearsome ninjas, but nothing worked. His resolve was absolute.

Itachi would have rolled his eyes, if they weren't closed. Ibiki had no idea what the truth was. It was a shame really. He certainly didn't lack the capacity to understand.

"Believe what you will. It truly makes no difference to me at this point." He states flatly.

The man was part of the Intelligence Division. Itachi was certain that he had seen his fair share of horror over the years. Most likely, he had experienced at least some of it personally. After all, what better way to train someone for such a profession than to give them first hand knowledge of what it was like to be on the receiving end?

"How generous of you to allow me to make up my own mind." He states as he continues on with his current task.

"I wonder what you think about your sister being back in the Leaf? Did you ever for one second feel remorse over what you did?" Ibiki demands.

He had tried this tactic before, but it hadn't yielded any results. Still there was the chance that it might work now. Itachi was likely exhausted from days of questioning and mental prodding from Jutsus. Not to mention, he was also an ill ninja. This could work.

Itachi's eyes soon flew open in a rage. In his fury, he temporarily lets his guard down. It was only a slight crack in his mental wall, but it was more than enough for a talented ninja like Ibiki to fully exploit.

"I can't believe it. It really is true." Ibiki whispers in horror a few minutes later.

He had been a ninja for many years. Ibiki had truly thought that he had seen it all, but he had been wrong. All his years of training and service could never have fully prepared him for this. Nothing could have prepared him for this.

The Leaf had isolated the Uchihas to such a degree that they began plotting a Coup. They were discovered and a thirteen year old member of their Clan was forced to kill them all to prevent a war.

"Damn you." Itachi hisses under his breath.

He hadn't confessed verbally, but he didn't need to. Ibikki could gather the memories he had abstracted and play them on a screen. Somehow the interrogator could turn the emotional energy in memories into chakra and thus control them. Control them enough to show everyone else.

"Damn him? Does that mean that you managed it?" Suki asks as she walks inside with Naruto.

Itachi's eyes widen in horror. This couldn't possibly be happening. His sister now had the proof she needed to utterly destroy this village. Whether it was a physical destruction or merely destroying its reputation, didn't matter. The fate of the Leaf now rested in her hands and the hands of her Mate.

"Suki, don't do this." He tells her.

"Itachi, I don't know how I feel about you at the moment. You're a hero, but you still killed our family. It's because of you that I'm alive, but don't ask me to keep the Leaf's skeletons hidden. That's nothing something that I can do." The Uchiha woman tells him.

"This could mean war." Itachi warns them.

Naruto shakes his head. He wasn't going to let it come to that. He had the beginnings of a plan forming in his mind.

"Not necessarily. I'm sure that Gaara will back me up and so will Killer B." Naruto says.

"Naruto, what are you talking about?" Suki asks in confusion.

"You'll see. Right now, I'll send a message Granny Tsunade and let her know that Itachi talked. We can play his memory in the Village Square and go from there." Naruto tells his Mate as he holds her hand, trying to offer her reassurance.

Suki pauses, but nods in agreement. Naruto was right. That was a good idea. With that in mind, she quickly pens a message to be delivered to Tsunade and one of Naruto's toads heads off with it.

It didn't take long for Tsunade to reply. Scarcely an hour later, thousands of Leaf Villagers were crammed into the Village Square to see what all the fuss was about. The Hokage had called an emergency meeting.

"I hope that you know what you're doing." Tsunade whispers to them as they join her in the center of the Village Square with a theater sized screen behind them.

"We do." Suki assures her and with that she takes a deep breath and begins her explanation.

Her heart was pounding, but she knew that she had to do it. Finally, the truth would be revealed. Maybe now, her family would have some peace and she'd be able to start a new life with her lovable idiot.

"My brother Itachi Uchiha is known as a Clan Slayer, but that isn't the whole story. You see the Leaf Village ordered it. I know that most of you won't believe me when I say that, but I have proof. Ibiki interrogated Itachi himself and extracted this memory for him. See for yourselves." She says and with that, the memory began to play for the entire crowd to see.

 _ **"This may end in complete chaos. Blood could very well be spilt."**_ Kurama says, sounding disturbingly hopeful.

 **"Kurama! The point of this is that we don't want blood to be spilt. Well other than the Council Members who ordered this. They deserve to be punished."** Naruto replies.

Suki watches with dread as she sees Itachi's memories play out in real time. He had barely been a teenager and had been forced to make an impossible choice. His family or everyone else.

Most of the Leaf Village was watching along with her. No one was saying a single word. An eerie silence had fallen over the crowd. It was deadly silent and Suki couldn't help but believe that occurrence was entirely appropriate in this situation.

"As you can see, the evidence is laid out for all to see in black and white." Tsunade says.

"THIS IS AN OUTRAGE! It's likely that she conspired with her brother to doctor the evidence!" One of the Council Members bellows.

It was his only chance. If he could convince everyone that it was fake, he and the others might survive. He knew that it was a gamble, but it was their only hope of salvation. He was going to cling to it with all his might.

"Are you questioning my ability to discern fact from fiction?" Tsunade demands.

"No! Of course not! Lady Tsunade, I would never do such a thing. It's just that these Uchihas are clever demons. You never know what they are truly capable of!" He replies desperately.

Suki blinks as she grabs onto Naruto's hand. She could feel her Mate's rage. He was furious at her being called a demon.

"It doesn't matter. I'll make them pay soon enough anyway." She whispers, trying to soothe him.

"The Uchihas were planning a Coup. They're all dead. I can't punish them. Itachi was innocent in the coup planning because he ended the Coup. Suki was only seven at the time. So I can not charge her as being complicit in it." The Hokage says.

There were whispers and murmurs of agreement. There were also objections. Tsunade steadfastly ignores both. This wasn't about what was popular. This was about protecting the Leaf Village from complete destruction.

"Be that as it may, genocide is illegal under International Law. I can not overlook the fact that the Council ordered it. Their punishment shall be execution in whatever manner Suki and Itachi see fit. As they are the last of their Clan, that is their right. That shall settle the blood debt." She explains.

Suki didn't really think that it settled the blood debt. She was going to kill a handful of old fools that likely wouldn't live to see the next decade anyway. Their Clan had numbered in the hundreds and had nearly been completely wiped out because of those cowards.

Sadly, the raven haired woman also knew that this was the closest she could truly get to settling the score. Now at least everyone knew the truth.

"Once the Council Members are all dead, I will consider the blood debt repaid. We can all forge a new future together and leave the horrors of the past behind." Suki says.

Itachi would no longer be cast as the village, but at a minimum he would be seen as a victim. There was also the possibility that he could be viewed as something of a martyr. While Itachi hadn't died, he had given up everything for the sake of the village. In reality, he was a hero and she hoped that most of the village would see him that way.

"Well said, Suki." Tsunade states as she nods approvingly.

Perhaps becoming Naruto's Mate had done her some good. Suki was thinking with her head instead of with her gut. This didn't need to end in senseless bloodshed.

There would be some bloodshed, but it would be a focused one. Tsunade mentally sighs. She couldn't believe that things had come to this really. How had the situation with the Uchihas spiraled out of control this badly?

"YOU CAN'T POSSIBLY BE SERIOUS! YOU WANT TO HAVE US EXECUTED AND LET THOSE DEMONS LIVE?!" The Council Members all roar in unison.

"Yes, I am. You did what you thought was necessary to protect the village, but you also endangered it by violating International Law. Did you sincerely think that the truth wouldn't come out, if you allowed them to live?" Tsunade replies.

That was too much for the Council Members. They lunge at Tsunade in a blind rage. Suki and Naruto quickly move to block them, but someone else did.

A blue blur intercepts all of them and swats the Council Members to the side with a giant sword. The Samehada. It was Kisame!

"How did you get out of your cell?!" Tsunade demands.

"Hey! I just saved your life! Shouldn't you be saying thank you, instead of nagging at me?" Kisame retorts as he checks to make sure that the Council Members were completely unconscious.

He smirks when he realizes they were. Hmm. From what he had overheard, Suki and Itachi were going to be allowed to choose their method of execution. That should be fun.

He had a lot of great ideas in mind. Maybe he'd be nice and offer the Uchiha Siblings a few suggestions. Yeah. That's what he'd do. One could never have too many torture options.

"Right. Well let's grab them and put them in prison. Kisame, you can obviously get out of your cell if you want to. Don't make me have a Hyuga lock up your chakra points. Are you going to be a good shark?" Suki asks.

"Yeah, Princess. I can get out of that cell pretty damn easily. You aren't serious about the chakra point thing though, are you?" He asks.

 _ **"That's our Mate. Striking fear into the hearts of our enemies. Well perhaps enemy is a stretch, but she's certainly magnificent in her fury. Madara would be proud."**_ Kurama comments.

Naruto couldn't really disagree with that. Suki could be pretty scary sometimes. He just couldn't intimidate people like that unless he let Kyuubi take over partially.

"Do you really wanna find out, if she's bluffing or not?" The Jinchuuriki asks.

Kisame goes silent for a moment as he considers how to answer that question. There was a fifty-fifty chance that she was bluffing. He didn't particularly like those odds though.

"Alright. Alright. I'll behave. Besides, Itachi is going to need me to make sure that he doesn't get sicker." He says smugly.

Suki rolls her eyes as she, Naruto, and Kisame begin carrying the unconscious Council Members back to the prison. They were each placed in a separate cell. The last female Uchiha wasn't going to give them a chance to conspire together.

That's when she sighs and goes to Itachi's cell. She really didn't know what to say to him. The man had been her worst nightmare for so long and now she knew the truth.

Itachi had loved her more than anything. Her big brother had loved her enough to risk not only the fate of the Leaf Village, but of the Ninja World at large. Despite that, he had still killed their family. Was that really something she could look beyond, even though he had done it for the right reasons?

"I miss the old days when my biggest problems were you and father not paying enough attention to me or dealing with Naruto's loudmouth at the Academy." She says with a sigh.

"Yes, I miss those days as well. Though you seem to have become more fond of latter recently." Itachi says.

"He's my Mate. I love him. You should be able to understand him. Apparently, you had feelings for Izumi." She states.

Itachi's eyes narrow. He didn't particularly care for that being brought up. How Suki had remembered Izumi was beyond him, but it was something that he would rather forget. He had killed the girl who loved him.

"I don't know what brought her to your mind, but I would much prefer that we go back to discussing piggyback rides." He mutters.


	18. Chapter 18

Primal

 **Author's Note:** Thanks for the reviews. I hope you all enjoy this chapter.

Naruto talking to Kyuubi in **bold**.

Kyuubi talking to Naruto in _**bold italics.**_

 **Chapter Notation:** I put warnings up before and after the execution scene. It may be a bit more descriptive than some readers are comfortable with. If you choose to skip it, it will not alter the plot and you should still be able to understand the basic idea of what happened.

Chapter 18

"We can execute them in whatever manner we see fit." Suki informs Itachi.

Itachi raises an eyebrow. He didn't see what good that would do. It wasn't going to bring their family back and the Council in their own way had only been trying to protect the Leaf. Punishing them was pointless.

"I told you to nurse your hatred to grow stronger. I wanted you to kill me so that the Leaf would look upon you as the tragic hero. It was my hope that when you became strong enough to slay me, that you could restore our Clan and begin a happier page in our family's history. Killing the Council has nothing to do with that." He states flatly.

"You actually believe that they shouldn't pay for their actions? You've paid for years. You were a Criminal Ninja. You've had to live with your guilt for all these years. You've allowed your illness to go untreated while they lived in the lap of luxury as if nothing had ever happened. How is that just, Itachi?!" Suki demands.

He sighs and glances at his foolish little sister. It was only natural that she would want revenge. The Council had ordered the death of most of her kin and stolen her childhood, but he doubted it would bring her the peace that she was so desperately seeking.

"They will pay for their actions. Whether that is in this life or the next, doesn't matter. Suki, you have the chance to start over. What you showed them today has given you that. It would be a far wiser option to start over with a clean slate. One that isn't covered in blood." He advises her.

"Well then I guess it's a good thing that I'm your foolish little sister. I'm not wise. I do believe in justice though. If you think that I'm going to allow them to live, you're the foolish one." She hisses.

Itachi sighs. This was not at all how he wanted this to go. Where was Naruto. Surely, he wouldn't sanction such bloodshed.

"What does your Mate think about this? From what I know of Naruto, he doesn't seem like the type that would condone torture. Make no mistake about it, that is what you are planning." The elder Uchiha says.

"Naruto loves me. He understands. The Darkness doesn't touch him in the same way it does most people." Suki whispers.

Well that was something. There was real love in his sister's voice when she spoke of the bubbly blonde. At least, Suki wasn't alone anymore. That made him happy.

"You're determined to go through with this, aren't you?" He asks with a resigned sigh.

"Yes, I am. I'm going to do it with or without your help." The raven haired woman says.

"I surmised as much. You've grown into a very stubborn woman. I suppose that you get that from mother. One would have to be stubborn to win over the heart of our father." Itachi says with a wistful smile.

Suki smiles as she nods in agreement. Her memories of her father and mother were crystal clear, but most of them were superficial. Perhaps that was only to be expected. She had only been a small child at the time of their death.

Her mother had been the archetype of the loving mother and homemaker. Mikoto Uchiha had once been a Jonin, but in the end had been content to be a housewife. She was a beautiful woman with a kind smile and enjoyed making cookies.

"That's certainly true." The younger Uchiha concedes.

Her father had been what Suki called a traditional ninja. He was proud, strong, and extremely rigid in his behavior. Fugaku had been the Head of their Clan and the Chief of the Leaf's Military Police Force.

How her sweet, empathetic mother had ended up with her proud and stern father, Suki still didn't really understand. They were opposites in every way. Then again, so were she and Naruto. He was her Sun and she was his Moon.

"Mhm. What did you have in mind?" Itachi asks warily.

"Well I thought that we would start with a Tsukuyomi." Suki says with a sly smile.

Now, she at least understood why her father had been distant. The man had been planning a Coup. To what extent her mother had been complicit in it, she wasn't entirely certain. Suki could only assume that her mother knew though.

Mikoto had been a Jonin. She wouldn't have achieved that rank, if she was completely unaware of her surroundings. That and she was Fugaku's wife. That entitled her to know what her husband was plotting.

"You can be rather vengeful at times." Itachi observes.

"Yes, I can. I am what you made me, brother." The young woman replies.

Behind that sweet smile, she had likely lived a double life. Mikoto probably had been aware of the Coup. Most likely she had been actively involved in it. That was an unsettling thought really.

She supposed the fact that the two of them had died so tragically, had made it easier for her young mind to put them on a pedestal. Her father had been proud, but he wasn't unmovable. He would act to protect his family in reckless way. Likewise, her sweet mother was capable of sanctioning what amounted to a Civil War within the Leaf Village.

"Yes, you are. You'll never understand how truly sorry, I am about that." Itachi whispers.

Meanwhile Naruto was with Tsunade in her office. Maybe, he could prevent total chaos from breaking out. He had a plan and he thought that it was a good plan.

"Just having them killed isn't going to be enough. The Leaf knows what really happened to Suki's family. People are going to start to wonder if the Council will do the same to their families." Naruto says.

Tsunade pours herself a glass of sake and nods. As much as she hated to admit it, the other blonde was certainly right about that. In particular, she was worried about the other Clans.

The Hyugas would have the most justifiable fear. They were similar to the Uchihas in a lot of ways. They were large, functioned semi autonomously, and had a bloodline trait. They weren't as insular as the Uchihas had been, but they weren't fully integrated into the village either.

"You're right. Unfortunately, I'm at a loss for how to reassure them. Well other than the execution." The Hokage admits as she takes a sip from her glass.

"We need to show them that something like this will never happen again. Granny, I want to be Hokage. I'm going to ask Suki to marry me. I'll take her last name. That way an Uchiha will be Hokage. That might be the only way to put this behind us." The Leaf Ninja pleads with her.

Tsunade blinks. Well that wasn't a bad idea in theory. Though she was rather surprised to see Naruto behaving so strategically. Perhaps Suki was rubbing off on him.

That was a frightening thought. How much of this was really Naruto's idea and how much was Suki's? She had never particularly thought of the Uchiha as a seductress, but was that what had happened?

"Was this your idea or hers?" She inquires cautiously.

If this was Suki's idea, Tsunade wasn't sure how she felt about it. It was quite clever, but also extremely ambitious. The youngest Uchiha had never really shown much ambition before. Well other than wanting to kill her brother.

Now that Suki knew the truth, that could change. That might not be a good thing. She was far too intelligent to think that she could ever officially be Hokage, but Naruto could. Suki could lead from behind the scenes.

"No. This was my idea. She doesn't know that I'm talking to you about it yet. Gaara and Killer B would back me. That means the Raikage would." Naruto reasons.

Tsunade sighs in relief. Well at least Suki wasn't making a power grab. That was something. Sadly, that didn't mean that her troubles were over though.

Just because it wasn't her idea, didn't mean that the raven haired woman wouldn't take advantage of the situation. After all, Naruto was her Mate. That meant she'd be in a position of influence, if he became Hokage.

"After the execution, I'll transfer the Hokageship to you." Tsunade says with a sigh.

She had never wanted to be Hokage to begin with. Jirayia had sought her out and practically begged her to take the position. Well maybe begged was a bit of a stretch, but she digressed.

Naruto would make an excellent leader. Like her brother and Dan, this was his dream. He cared about the Leaf and its people. He would do whatever was necessary to protect it. Of that much, Tsunade was certain.

"Really? That's great! Don't worry, Granny Tsunade! You won't regret this! I promise!" The Jinchuuriki vows.

"I hope you're right, Naruto. I really hope that you're right." Tsnuade says as she downs her sake.

She couldn't believe that this was actually happening. Tsunade was sanctioning the death of the Council and she was retiring from being Hokage. It was a strange day to say the least.

Meanwhile Kisame eyes a pink haired woman with amusement. Pink hair? That couldn't possibly be natural, could it? Who had ever heard of a pink haired ninja?

"Lady Tsunade sent me to make sure that you don't cause any trouble. It seems like you don't have any problem breaking out of your cell, so we'll need to take other precautions. You're too dangerous. We can't just let you wander around." The female ninja says.

Kisame snorts in amusement. That was adorable. Really. They actually thought they could control him? Oh this should be funny.

"I'd like to see you try, Princess." He states with open mirth.

"Princess? Why are you calling me Princess?" Sakura replies in confusion as she watches him warily.

"You have pink hair. That's like something out of a fairytale. That's not natural is it?" He asks.

Sakura feels herself twitch. She couldn't believe that the Akatsuki Member had the gall to ask her that! He was the one who had blue skin, shark teeth, and gills! Her hair was perfectly normal! She was the one who should be asking him, if he was natural!

"It is! TAKE THIS!" She says as she slams a punch in his gut and throws some chakra cuffs on him.

"AHHHH!" Kisame cries out in pain.

Well he supposed that would teach him a valuable lesson. He probably shouldn't have judged a book by their cover. Damn. Princess could punch!

"Owe. Alright. Alright. I deserved that one." Kisame mutters.

"Yes, you did. Is every member of the Akatsuki crazy?" The medic demands.

"Well for the most part. Konan is fairly normal and so is Itachi. Everyone else is pretty certifiable though! We have high standards!" The blue ninja states cheerfully.

Sakura rubs the back of her head. She honestly didn't know how Itachi had done it. This was considered normal by Akatsuki standards? She would have gotten as far away from the group as she could have, if she was in his sandals.

"Right. Well now you can't cause nearly as much trouble. Without the use of your hands or chakra, you should be at least somewhat more civilized." Sakura states proudly.

She had done it. Sakura had successfully restrained an Akatsuki Member without getting a scratch on her. That had to be some kind of record. She was sure of it!

"Me? Civilized?" Kisame asks as he begins laughing at the mere idea of such a thing.

"Well semi civilized. Anyway, you're not going to cause any problems while we get everything straightened out!" She informs him.

""Yes ma'am." Kisame states between gales of laughter.

Ah. It must have been years since he'd last laughed like this. Usually, he'd chuckle or laugh maliciously. This was a different kind of laughter though. One of amusement and that made a big difference.

"You can stop laughing so much now!" She snaps at him.

"Sorry. I just can't do it, Princess. You actually expect me to be partially civilized. Awe man. I wish that Itachi was here. He'd get such a kick out of that." Kisame laughs.

Three days later, the Council is drugged off to the Forest of Death. Suki had debated about it, but decided a public execution would be too good for them. It made them more important than they were. They could die alone.

 _ **"They will die screaming. I'm not sure exactly what she's planning, but her chakra is laced with fury."**_ Kurama comments.

Naruto couldn't disagree with that. The panther was ready for blood. It was pacing wildly inside their bond. The mighty beast's claws were unsheathed and its teeth were bared. Kurama was right.

 **"Itachi doesn't look too happy about it though."** The blonde observes.

Itachi had the look of a resigned man. For whatever reasons, the elder Uchiha apparently didn't want to go through with this. Naruto wasn't sure, if he would ever fully understand the man.

The Council had forced him to kill his entire family, but Itachi didn't want to see them executed. It didn't make any sense to him. Not that it mattered. As log as Suki was happy, he was happy.

"Lady Tsunade, you can't possibly sanction this!" One of the Council Members says.

"She's sanctioning it to save her own hide. The woman isn't stupid. Do you honestly think the other Leaf Villagers are going to just overlook a genocide?" Kisame asks.

"I wasn't aware that you even knew what the word genocide meant." Suki taunts him.

"Itachi, your kid sister is such a brat." Kisame grumbles.

Itachi chuckles quietly in amusement. Well if nothing else, having Suki and Kisame around each other was going to prove to be a most entertaining experience. Unfortunately, that didn't solve their current predicament .

"One can't entirely blame Suki for that assessment. You do not exactly go to great lengths to prove yourself to be a scholar." Itachi offers.

"I think Itachi just called him dumb. Did he just call him dumb?" Naruto whispers to Suki.

"I didn't call him simple. There are many kinds of intelligence. Academic intelligent is but one of man." The elder Uchiha sibling clarifies.

Tsunade smacks her forehead. She couldn't believe that that they were having this conversation before the execution. Honestly, everyone needed to focus!

"Suki, Itachi, have you chosen their manner of death? Oh and if anyone has any last words, you may speak them now. Do not go to your deaths with anymore regrets than you absolutely have to." The Hokage says.

"Demons! The lot of you! Tsunade, you're no lady! You're consorting with Akatsuki Members. As for Suki and her pet demon, we should have had them killed years ago. I can't believe that Itachi is behaving this foolishly though. I thought that the safety of the Leaf meant something to him!" The first Council Member hisses.

Itachi clenches his fists. On second thought, perhaps Suki had a point. No one would miss the Council. They were all fools who were too afraid to do their own dirty work. Fools who needed to be silenced.

"We were naïve to think that any Uchiha could be trusted. Not even Itachi. I suppose the Curse of Hatred will always win out in the end." A second says as he spits at them.

 _ **"Naruto, calm yourself. It doesn't matter. They're all going to be dead very shortly. Whatever they say is absolutely meaningless. Their words are the words of dead men and dead women."**_ The Nine Tails says.

 **"It's not right! They have no right to talk about her like that!"** Naruto snarls mentally.

Suki sighs and places her hand on Naruto's cheek. She could feel his rage. Her Mate was outraged on her behalf. It was very sweet in a disturbing way.

"Naruto, it's alright. They can't hurt anyone else." She whispers.

"Yeah. I know. Things would have been a lot better, if none of these people had ever been born though." He grumbles and leans into her touch.

Her touch soothed him. Idly, that thought amused Naruto. It wasn't that long ago, that her touch only brought him pain and vice versa. He'd lost track of the number of times that they had almost killed each other and now, they were loving Mates!

"You'll pay for this. Go to Hell!" Another Council Member screams at the Uchiha Siblings.

"Thanks to you and your friends, I've been living in Hell almost every single day, since I was seven. So has my brother. Things are better now. I have Naruto. I want you to go to your deaths, knowing the truth." She hisses at them.

Naruto feels himself shiver. That voice was cold. It was colder than the unforgiving icy gales that were famous in the Snow Country. He almost couldn't believe that his Suki could talk that way .

"And what is that?!" They demand.

"You're going to die and no one is going to care. I'll make sure that the bodies are buried, but I won't give you the courtesy of marked graves. No one will mourn you. They'll likely be relieved that they aren't going to be your next victim." She tells them with a ruthless smile.

 **"Is that really Suki?"** Naruto asks.

 _ **"Yes, it is. Never cross an Uchiha. They aren't the most forgiving people."**_ Kurama replies.

Naruto watches as the Council's faces go pale. Apparently, that threat had worked rather well. Sadly, they didn't stay silent for long.

"Itachi. Do it." Suki whispers as the Council screams at her and Itachi.

"Tsukuyomi!" The older Uchiha says and Naruto watches in awe as the screaming suddenly stops.

 **Warning Execution Scene**

"Where are we?" A Councilman demands.

"You're inside my Genjutsu. This world is entirely of my own making. I control everything in it. To the outside world, only a few seconds will pass. To us, a few days will pass. How did you want to do this Suki?" Itachi asks softly.

Suki smirks at their horrified expressions. Good. She wanted them to know the terror that she felt that night.

"Force them to walk a mile in our sandals." She murmurs.

Itachi needed no further clarification. Soon enough, the Council was forced to witness the slaughter of their own families in front of them. Of course, it wasn't real and Itachi knew that most of these people were long dead. That didn't mean that it wasn't traumatic though.

"Because you, they are suffering. Because you were not able to do your jobs and protect the Leaf in the way that you should have, your families now have to suffer the same fate that ours did." He hisses.

Blood splattered everywhere. Some of it even splashed onto the Council Members' pristine white robes. That didn't matter though. Itachi set about killing their imaginary kin in the exact same way that he was forced to nearly annihilate his own Clan.

Suki watches with no small amount of horror as he reacts the Massacre. Finally, he brings his sword through the imaginary parents. This was how Itachi had killed Mikoto and Fugaku Uchiha. He'd done it quickly, but the blood soaked the "streets" of the imaginary world.

"You're a monster!" One of them spits.

"I am what this village made me. I was willing to do this to keep the Leaf safe. I did it to keep the Ninja World from falling into another war and it almost didn't work. I suppose the Road to Hell is paved with good intentions. Have no fear, Suki and I shall send you there shortly." He says.

With that being said, Suki slashes at them with her sword. She made sure not to cut any major arteries or veins and to stay away from vital points. The Uchiha woman wanted them to suffer for as long as possible.

Allowing them to bleed out, even in this world was too good for them. They were slowly bleeding to death and she could hear their snarls and cries of pain. Each one was music to her eyes. They deserved to suffer.

"Never again. You're never going to be able to hurt anyone else!" She growls at them.

Her rage was a primal thing. It was white and hot. It burned her on the inside, but she couldn't stop. Again and again, she brings her sword down. By the end, Itachi was still reenacting the Massacre with the Council's loved ones and she was cutting off limbs and other body parts.

"Release!" Itachi says and with that, they find themselves in the real world once more.

The Council Members fall to the ground. Some were gasping for air and others were literally foaming at the mouth. It was clear that Itachi's mental torture had been a success.

"I think that it's appropriate that you die by the Jutsu that my Clan was most famous for." Suki says.

"What's she talking about?" Kisame whispers to Naruto.

"Not sure. I'm thinking some form of Fire Style though." The blonde whispers back.

It didn't take long to find out exactly what Jutsu Suki was referring to. A moment later, she breathes out a truly massive fireball. The last female Uchiha wields it without mercy.

"AHHHH!" A Councilwoman screams as the scent of charred flesh filled the air.

It was a sickening scent, but that didn't stop Suki. If anything, the screams appeared to encourage her. The raven haired beauty directs the flames to target their legs and arms first. The elders were fully restrained by the cuffs on their arms and legs. They couldn't escape.

"MAKE IT STOP!" A second pleads for mercy.

Suki wasn't feeling merciful though. Naruto could see the panther slashing at everything with its claws. She was going to kill them. Today, the Forest of Death was certainly going to be very aptly named.

The sounds of their screams and the scent of fire filled the forest air for what seemed like hours. It was almost overwhelming to say the least. Somehow though, Suki was able to ignore such things. Hell, Naruto would go so far to say that she was delighting in them.

 **End Execution Scene**

"Suki! Stop! They're dead!" Itachi calls out.

Suki blinks and looks down at the ground. The elders' bodies had completely collapsed. They were lifeless and there was nothing left, but bone and the tattered remains of their clothes or hair.

"Yes, they are." She says in shock as she tries to process the fact that it was really over.

The Council was dead and she knew the truth about Itachi. So did the entire life. Now there was really only a couple of things left to do. First and foremost, she was going to marry her lovable idiot.

"Suki, that was crazy. Don't ever freak me out like that again!" Naruto tells her.

"That's rich considering what you did to Orochimaru, but it's alright. It's over now." Suki says as she walks over and embraces her Mate.

It was hard to go from experiencing such rage to complete love. Suki almost got whiplash because of how quickly her emotions changed, but that didn't matter. Nothing else mattered, except for Naruto and the fact that her Clan finally had been avenged.


	19. Chapter 19

Primal

 **Author's Note:** Thanks for the reviews. Feel free to weigh in on whether you guys want an official wedding/honeymoon chapter or if you would just prefer a timeskip with it implied. Majority will rule. Anyway, I hope you all enjoy this chapter.

Naruto talking to Kyuubi in **bold**.

Kyuubi talking to Naruto in _**bold italics.**_

 **Chapter Notation:** I'm not exactly sure how transferring Hokageship goes. I assume there is a ceremony, but this may or may not be cannon.

Chapter 19

Two weeks later, the ceremony was well underway. Her Mate was about to achieve his lifelong dream and become Hokage. Suki smiles at that thought from the crowd.

It had taken a few days to organize and to send out invitations across the Five Great Nations. After all, other Kages should be afford the opportunity to attend. Gaara had made it there in record time, for example. The others had also made it.

"Naruto, while your methods drive me crazy, no one can ever doubt that you have always been loyal to this village. You were loyal enough to help expose an ugly truth and I'm being honest, you're likely the only reason the Leaf is still standing." Tsunade says as she gives Suki a knowing look.

Suki doubted anyone had missed it. They all likely knew exactly what the busty blonde meant. _"Thank you, for keeping your crazy Mate from leveling our home in a blind rage."_

She smiles once more, when she feels a hand on her shoulder. Itachi was slowly getting better. It was going to be a long harsh road to a full recovery, but today he was well enough to stand. (His medics disagreed, but apparently she wasn't the only stubborn Uchiha).

"Thanks, Granny Tsunade!" Naruto says brightly.

"She's not actually his grandmother is she?" Gaara whispers to Suki.

The raven haired woman understood why the Kazekage was at best wary of her, but he was obviously at least trying to have a civil relationship with her. Gaara wasn't oblivious. He knew that she was Naruto's Mate.

The red head was Naruto's best friend. She was essentially his wife. That meant that he almost had to get along with her to a degree or risk his friendship. To be fair, she was in a very similar boat when it came to Gaara.

"No. She's not his grandmother. It's Naruto. He gives stupid nicknames to everyone he meets." She replies with a snort of amusement.

"I wonder what he calls you in the throes of passion." Gaara muses.

"GAARA!" Suki exclaims, feeling shocked.

The Kazekage had made had made a rather _suggestive_ joke. Pigs really did fly, it seemed. She wasn't even aware that Gaara knew about such things.

On second thought, perhaps it was only to be expected. Who knew what the One Tails had told him? That and Gaara's sister was already married. She might have explained Kunais and Pouches to him at some point.

"My apologies. I didn't realize that you were a shy woman." He says.

"I am not shy! I just didn't expect you to say something like that!" Suki hisses at him quietly.

"I suppose I should have expected it. You and the Hyuga Clan are rather distantly related. Everyone knows how easily flustered they are about such topics. It's only natural that you would be the same way." He says thoughtfully.

Suki feels herself twitch. Gaara was definitely messing with her. She sighs and decides just to indulge him.

The young Kage was likely just getting a subtle form of revenge against her. She had put his best through a lot of pain. Really, Suki knew that she was lucky that all Gaara was interested in doing to her was apparently gentle ribbing.

"Ah there you are, Suki. I knew that you had to be somewhere around here." Kakashi says as he makes his way over to her with Sakura in tow.

The last female Uchiha really didn't know what to make of Sakura at this point anymore. She was pretty sure the feeling was mutual. She had been drug out of the Darkness by the light, but she doubted the pink haired woman would see it that way.

That was fine with Suki though. She didn't particularly care one way or another about her female teammate. The only reason she was even a footnote was because of her impressive medical skills and strength. That and for some reason, Naruto actually cared about her.

"Of course, my Mate is becoming Hokage. This is his dream. I had to be here." She says.

"That's surprisingly romantic of you, my foolish little sister. I'm proud of you. You've finally calmed your bloodlust and replaced it with the other kind. I suspect that I shall be an uncle in relatively near future." Itachi observes cheerfully.

Suki feels herself twitch. She wanted to have children with Naruto. Of course, but that didn't meant that she wanted to be teased about it by her big brother.

"Who knew you were such a damn pervert?" The raven haired woman mutters in disgust.

"Now. Now. Every man has desires. It's just a matter of degree and how open he is about expressing them." Kakashi says.

She rolls her eyes. Suki couldn't believe that Kakashi was discussing such things in front of the Kazekage! Then again, this was Kakashi! The CopyCat Ninja probably thought that it was normal or something!

Suki decides at that point to ignore her companions for the sake of her sanity as she glances around the crowd. There had to be thousands of people jammed into the streets, maybe tens of thousands. It wasn't every day that a new Kage was sworn in.

"Do you Naruto pledge to protect the Leaf Village to the best of your abilities and to carry on the Will of Fire?" Tsunade asks.

 _"Is he becoming Hokage or marrying the village,"_ Suki thinks to herself sarcastically. That's when she saw Naruto chuckle. Damn. Right. Their Mating Bond let him know what she was feeling.

That meant knew about the Kakashi and Itachi thing. Not to mention the snide marriage thought. Well maybe not that it was about marriage, but that she was being sarcastic.

 _ **"Seems like your Mate finds this entire affair rather amusing. I can't disagree with her. Humans love their pomp and circumstance. It doesn't matter whether or not there is a ceremony. You're the Alpha of this Pack and that's that."**_ Kurama comments.

 **"Ceremonies are important though! They help to commentate the occasion!"** Naruto protests.

 _ **"You just like being the center of attention."**_ The Nine Tails says.

The whole being Mates thing was going to take awhile for both of them to get used to. She had to be careful about such things. Suki didn't want to hurt his feelings, but the whole somberness of the affair struck her as ridiculous.

This was Naruto. He was the very embodiment of levity. To see him take anything so seriously outside of battle was just odd. Very odd. Though she knew that this was a moment that he would never forget and that's why she didn't burst out laughing.

 **"Well yeah! What's wrong with that?"** Naruto asks.

 _ **"Nothing. Apparently, your Mate finds it most amusing as well. I can feel that she's on the verge of laughter. She can't believe that you're actually taking something seriously."**_ Kurama retorts.

Naruto mentally sighs. He was so going too kick Kurama's furry behind for this later. Right now. He needed to focus. The blonde couldn't allow himself to be distracted.

This was a very important moment. The entire village and even foreign ninjas were watching him. He had to project the image of a leader.

"Yes, I promise. I'll protect the Leaf and the Will of Fire." He says with a smile.

"Then by the power vested in me by the Fire Nation, I relinquish my position of Hokage to you. May the Leaf flourish under your leadership." Tsunade replies.

Suddenly, loud cheers range up. Naruto was pretty sure he heard the sounds of cannons being fired and music began to play. Where the music was coming from was really anyone's guess though.

"Suki! You can come up here now!" The new Hokage calls out to his Mate.

 _ **"That might not have been your best idea."**_ Kurama warns him.

 **"What? Why not?"** The blonde asks.

That's when he sensed the panther's hesitation. Damn it. Suki was still self-conscious about how the rest of the village saw her.

Well they were going to have to start fixing that right now. He was Hokage and she was his Mate. If they had a problem with her, they had a problem with him. It was as simple as that.

 _ **"Now, you've essentially cornered her. Cornered animals are very dangerous."**_ The Nine Tails adds.

 **"Quiet! She deserves to be here as much as I do."** The sapphire eyed ninja snaps at his demon.

Suki hesitantly heads up towards where Naruto was. Outwardly, she was completely composed. His Mate walked with her head held up high and no emotion showed on her face.

On the inside though, Naruto that something else was going on. The panther was pacing. Well there really was no time like the present to start working on this whole public relations thing.

"You all know Suki. You all know the truth now. There's no need for anymore bad blood. Itachi was forced to do horrible things and so was she. This is a new era in the Leaf's history though. Hopefully, a better one." Naruto begins.

The levity stopped almost as suddenly as it had started. Naruto knew that he now had everyone's undivided attention again. Good. They needed to hear this. They all needed to hear this.

"Oh boy." Tsunade whispers under her breath.

The new Hokage heard that, but he decides not to comment on it. He needed to show that he meant what he said. If he showed any sign of hesitation than this wouldn't end well.

"Suki and I are going to get married. She's a part of this village again and so is Itachi. I'm really not sure what we are going to do about Kisame, but these two have suffered enough. We've all suffered enough. Let's move on." He says he kisses Suki's cheek as if to illustrate his point.

His Mate smiles and laces her fingers with his. That made Naruto feel better. Suki had never been the most social person. The woman had never really given a damn about what most people thought about her, but she was willing to put on a show for him.

"Naruto is right. Itachi and I are willing to move on and hope that all of you feel the same way. I did a lot of bad things in my desire for revenge. I'm not naïve. I don't expect anyone to forget what I did, but I would like to make it up to the village." Suki says.

 _ **"She's a skilled liar. Suki regrets what she did only because it upset you. She doesn't actually care about this village. The woman probably just wants to ensure her Clan's Burial Grounds aren't disturbed and to make you happy. Well that and her brother."**_ Kuram warns him.

That thought did bother him, but Suki was Suki. She'd never be like him in that way. The woman had most of her family stolen away by a few members of this village. She was never going to love it like he did.

The feelings of hatred, sadness, and loneliness were primal. So was the desire for revenge. Those feelings were primitive and powerful. They wouldn't go away overnight.

 **"I know. It's a start though."** Naruto says.

He knew that he could make her happy. She'd gotten her revenge. That and while her feelings about Itachi were understandably complicated, the Uchiha woman also had her brother back.

Surely, that all counted for something. Naruto still couldn't believe that she wanted to be a housewife, but he was cool with that. He found it a bit weird, but Suki had her reasons. Good reasons, really.

 _ **"I don't know why you find it so odd that a female wants to Den. Most do. There will always be those who are what your species call Career Women and that's fine, but she was raised in a very traditional Clan. Her mother was a Denmother. Why wouldn't she want to follow suit. I fail to see what the great mystery is."**_ The Nine Tails comments.

Naruto wasn't entirely sure that he understood all though. Still he was pretty sure he understood the general point. Suki's mother was a housewife. So it wasn't that unexpected that she might want to do the same.

"Naruto, dance with me." Suki says to him.

"Wait. What?" Naruto asks.

"I asked you to dance with me. People are starting to dance. It would be a good idea for us to join them." She whispers to him.

Uh oh. This so wasn't good. He didn't have any clue how to dance. This was going to end in a disaster.

"You don't know how. Do you?" Suki inquires with a raised eyebrow.

Right. Right. Mating Bond. She could feel what he felt and had pieced together the pieces easily. Naruto wasn't sure if that was a good thing or not in this case. Suki might never let him live this down.

"Not really. I was kinda busy! I was trying to get stronger. I wanted to save you. I had more important things on my mind than dance." He mumbles, feeling his face burn with embarrassment.

"Naruto, it's fine. I'll teach you. It's not that hard." She tells him as she drags him towards where everyone was dancing.

 **"I wonder where the Hell she learned how to dance. Somehow, I doubt they were giving out lessons in the Sound Village."** Naruto muses.

 _ **"She was probably taught before the Massacre. Your Mate comes from an old family. It would have been considered traditional to teach her when she was young."**_ Kurama informs him.

Suki smiles and wraps her arms around his neck. The raven haired woman then gestures for Naruto to wrap his hands around her waist. He does so a bit uncertainly, but that didn't seem to bother her.

"Just do what I do." His Mate tells him.

"Alright." The blonde replies as he sways to the music with Suki.

This wasn't too bad. It was fairly easy. That was until he stepped on her toes. Suki just rolls her eyes and continues on.

"It's fine. If I can survive fighting with you, I can survive your two left feet." The Uchiha woman informs him.

"Foolish little sister, that is not the proper way to tell your fiancé that you love him." Itachi comments.

"Stay out of this, Itachi! I'm teaching him how to dance!" Suki snaps at him.

Honestly, her feelings on Itachi were mixed. She did know one thing though. He could definitely butt out of her relationship with Naruto. That was really none of his business.

She didn't need love advice from her brother. No. She definitely didn't need that. After all, she was Mated and Itachi wasn't. So there!

 _ **"Well it seems that our Mate is feeling rather smug at the moment."**_ Kurama notes with no small amount of mirth.

 **"Yeah. I'm not sure what about though."** Naruto admits as he dances with Suki.

She knew that was a bit childish, but Suki couldn't help it. In a strange way, the last female Uchiha felt that she had finally bested her brother. Perhaps not in the way she had originally intended, but it still counted.

Suki was Mated. She was going to get married. Itachi wasn't. Itachi wasn't and he was older. The prodigy apparently wasn't as gifted in the Art of Romance as she was.

"So you know we kinda have to have a really big wedding now." Naruto warns her.

"I can send someone over from the Sand Village to help the two of you plan, if you like." Gaara says as he makes his way over to the pair of lovers.

Well Suki was sure that Gaara thought they were lovers. Technically, they weren't yet. They had to focus on resolving the Itachi situation before they could actually do much more than kiss and cuddle. (Oh and a couple of other things that would likely scandalize Itachi, if he ever found out about them.)

"That'd be great." Suki says with a smile.

She might as well get used to it. Playing nice. Suki was going to be a politician's wife. Smiling just came with the territory.

Hopefully, her smile wasn't as creepy as Sai's though. It had been awhile since she had used her smile on anyone who wasn't Naruto. The very gesture felt completely foreign an alien to her at this point.

"Yeah! Thanks a million, Gaara! This is going to be great! We're going to have the most amazing wedding ever!" The blonde says happily.

"Of course. Well you deserve it, Naruto. I'm happy for the two of you." The red head dsays.

 _"Well you deserve it, Naruto."_ That was a jab. A subtle one, but a jab all the same. Whatever. It didn't matter.

She could play nice in public for Naruto's sake, but that didn't meant that they ever had to be best friends. As Suki had pondered earlier, they were both doing this for the blonde. Not for each other.

Suki was also almost positive that Gaara felt uneasy around her for another reason. He had also tasted Darkness. She likely reminded him of his own issues.

"Thanks!" Naruto says beaming, until he heard screaming.

Suki blinks. It was Kisame. Some of the little kids were rather terrified of him. Still others appeared fascinated by his unusual appearance.

"What are we going to do about him?" Suki hears Tsunade ask Kakashi.

"I don't know. He did help us, but that doesn't necessarily mean that he's reformed." The silver haired ninja replies.

Suki sighs. She honestly didn't know what do about the shark lover either. Kakashi was right. Without Kisame, they might never have been able to prove what really happened on that horrible night.

That didn't make him a good guy though. Then again, she wasn't a good girl. Could she really hold his crimes against him, when she was asking everyone to overlook her own sordid history? Wouldn't that be hypocritical for her?

"I'll be right back." Suki whispers to Naruto as she heads over to Tsunade.

"Haha. Ah you brats will make great Sushi!" Kisame calls out with a smirk.

Some of the parents quickly grab their children and try to pull them away from the Akatsuki member. Suki sighs as she notices this. Kisame certainly wasn't helping his case.

Did the man seriously want to be thrown back in jail? That's what it looked like. Honestly, why was her brother partnered with such an idiot?

"Maybe, you can give him probation like you did with me. I'd feel like a hypocrite, if we just tossed him in the prison. After all, I've done more than enough to merit the same fate. Yet I'm still allowed to roam free." She reasons.

"If it was up to me, you wouldn't. You're Naruto's Mate though. I can't lock you up. Well I could, but he would never allow it. He's Hokage now and even if he wasn't, Naruto would still get you out of there. Kisame is another matter though." The former Hokage replies.

Suki feels herself twitch. She knew that Tsunade was right, but that didn't make it any less annoying. It was her love for Naruto and his love for her that had saved them all from a blood bath or her from becoming prisoner and they all knew it.

"True, but you owe him. Without Kisame's help, we wouldn't have had proof and I probably would have destroyed this village." Suki tells her.

"Yes, I'm more than aware of your temper. Naruto is going to have his hands full with you. I'll put him on probation for now." Tsunade says with a sigh.

"A wise choice, My Lady." The CopyCat Ninja says.

"Good. If you'll excuse me, I have to get back to my Mate. We're celebrating his becoming Hokage, after all." Suki says as she flips her hair at them and flounces back towards Naruto.

They deserved that hairflip. Normally, Suki wouldn't indulge in such petty displays. Kakashi and Tsunade deserved it this time though. Sometimes a woman just had to do what a woman had to do.

"What was that all about?" Naruto asks her as he places his hands back on her waist.

"We were discussing what should be done about Kisame. Tsunade has decided it would be in her best interest to give him probationary status." The raven haired ninja informs him.

As she begins to dance with Naruto, she could see that her Mate was skeptical of that. She could also feel it through their bond. Naruto definitely didn't have much love for Kisame.

"I guess it's only fair. I mean he did help us, but do you really trust him?" He whispers.

"Not really, but most people don't trust me. Sometimes people deserve a second chance. You taught me that." She tells him as she kisses him.

Suki smiles when she feels him kiss back. That was how she knew that everything was going to be alright. Really, it was astonishing how such a simple gesture could say so much.

It said I love you. It's going to be alright. I'm not mad at you. We'll get through this together. I'm not going to leave you. She felt like such a sap, but that was probably partially a product of the Mating Bond.

"If anyone had told me a couple years ago that you would turn out to be this gushy, I would have laughed at them. That and if we didn't have the Bond, I probably still wouldn't know." Naruto says.

"I don't think things need to be said, if you can feel them anyway. That's a bit redundant. Don't you think?" She asks as she says to the music with him.

The ninja knew that teasing her Mate like this was likely going to result in a lot of broken furniture later. Their "play fights" or training sessions had always been intense.

That much hadn't changed. Some things would always stay the same. That was just one of them. They always fought with everything they had. That was just who they were.

"You know, when you use big words like that…I know what you really mean is you just want me to kick your ass in a training session." He says smugly.

"Naruto, I love you. I love you more than anything, but there is a fine line between confidence and self-delusion. You're crossing it. You have never kicked my ass and you never will." She retorts.

"Oh yeah?" We'll see about that." Naruto says as he scoops her up Bridal Style and the two flit off towards their home together for a little training.


	20. Chapter 20

Primal

 **Author's Note:** Thanks for the reviews. I hope that everyone enjoys the Wedding Chapter.

Naruto talking to Kyuubi in **bold**.

Kyuubi talking to Naruto in _**bold italics.**_

Chapter 20

 _Weeks._ It had taken weeks to organize their wedding ceremony. Suki didn't really understand why it had taken that long, but at least she knew her Mate shared in her frustration. The ball of light was all over the place. It was as if the Sun was pacing and twitching.

"Are you sure that you're ready for this? You and Naruto are re-ally young." Hinata says.

She was getting married in just over an hour. Suki had chosen Hinata to be her Maid of Honor. The Uchiha woman knew that decision had likely shocked a lot of people, but the raven haired woman had several good reasons for doing so.

The first was because Hinata adored Naruto. That meant that the Hyuga Heiress wanted him to be happy. Clearly, marrying her would make him happy. So Suki knew that the other woman wasn't going to deliberately sabotage their wedding.

"I'm sure. I'm sorry, Hinata. I know that you cared for him and if he was smart, he would have chosen you. I love him though. I just didn't express that very well for a long time." She whispers.

The second was because Hinata was a Hyuga. The Hyuga Clan was one of the largest in the village. It was also well respected and having Hinata have a place of honor at her wedding would make an informal tie between the Clans. It was a smart decision strategically.

"I'm sad that it wasn't me, but love either there or it isn't. He's not stupid. Naruto just has a way of seeing the good in people, even if they can't see it themselves. I hope that you'll be happy together." The other ninja whispers.

The third was that she was quiet and not annoying. Actually, Hinata was just a good person in general. Suki didn't know if she would have been able to do what the Hyuga woman was doing. To watch her first love, marry someone else with grace and dignity.

"Thank you. I'm sure that you'll find a lovable idiot of your own one day. He is stupid. He's loyal to the point of absolute stupidity, but I love him. That's probably why I love him, actually." Suki says.

"I can't believe the two of you are actually getting married. You've always fought like cats and dogs and now you're getting married." Sakura says.

Suki had invited Sakura as well. She was her former teammate. Though she had mostly done so out of respect for Naruto. The blonde was still friends with the medic and Suki didn't want to come between them.

The truth of the matter was that she still didn't know where she stood with the other woman. Maybe, it didn't matter. She had Naruto and Itachi. That was enough for her.

"Believe me, I didn't think that it was ever going to happen either." Suki says as she glances at the other members of her Bridal Party.

Temari, Tenten, Ino, Kurenai, and Anko made up the rest of her Bridal party. Suki didn't feel particularly close to any of them. Though it would have looked strange to only have Itachi at her side and Naruto to have lots of Groomsmen. So she had just invited everyone that she could think of.

"I felt the same way about Shikamaru and I." Temari tells her and Suki smiles in response.

Well maybe Temari wasn't so bad, the Uchiha thinks to herself as she looks in the mirror. She almost didn't recognize the woman staring back at her. This woman was a far different creature than the one who she had been for several years.

This woman was actually happy. Years of inner torment were gone on this day. Replaced by something else entirely. An emotion that before she Mated with Naruto, Suki didn't think that she was capable of feeling anymore. _Joy._

"Treasure the time that you have together." Kurenai adds.

Suki knew why. The Genjutsu Mistress had already lost the love of her life. The Uchiha woman couldn't imagine a world without Naruto. She had tried to make one, but it had never worked.

Kurenai was stronger than her in a lot of ways. Suki wasn't sure that she would be able to function without her lovable idiot. Then again, Kurenai was also a mother. That was probably why.

"I will." She promises her.

Speaking of children, Mirai was going to be the flower girl at their wedding. The small child was absolutely giddy about this prospect and had been _practicing_ everywhere. To say the least, Mirai was certainly helping Ino's Flower Shop to stay in business.

"So do you think you can keep up with him? That boy is rather…energetic." Anko says with a wink.

Suki was glad to be looking at the mirror. It didn't take a genius to realize what Anko was referring to. It was the strangest sensation to realize that she was actually blushing.

The blush contrasted startlingly against her ivory pale skin and raven black hair which now reached to the middle of her back. She had inherited her mother's color, but there were now hints of Madara's trademark spiky texture.

"I wouldn't marry him, if I didn't think we were… _compatible."_ Suki retorts.

She was wearing a beautiful snowy white wedding kimono with a v neckline and a Uchiha Crest on the back. Her sash was navy blue and she thought it went well with her eyes.

The silky fabric flattered her figure. She knew that was a bit vain, but she was happy that it did. There was no reason not to try to look her best for her Mate and if anyone happened to get a nosebleed in the audience, well let them.

"Anko!" Ino scolds the older woman.

"What? She's getting married. Women speak of these matters." The older ninja says.

"Well yeah, but that's the kind of thing that she should be telling her classmates. Suki barely knows you! So Suki, what's he like? Does he use his clones when you two are together, together?" The blonde asks.

Suki sighs and glances at Tenten rather helplessly. Thankfully, the brunette got the message and covers Ino's mouth. There would be none of that.

The last thing that she wanted to admit was that she and Naruto hadn't actually consummated their Mating yet. They had other things on their mind. Mostly Itachi.

"Ino, y-ou should be more respectful!" Hinata tells her and the blonde sighs as she nods her head in resignation.

"Well hopefully, the guys are having an easier time of it than we are." Temari says.

Meanwhile Naruto heads towards the alter with his Groomsmen. He couldn't believe that he was actually getting married. Kakashi was the one who was acting as his "father" so to speak and helping him get there.

"Now, remember don't forget your anniversary. I wouldn't put it passed Suki to Chidori you below the belt." Kakashi says cheerfully.

"Honestly, Kakashi. I'm shocked and appalled that you would suggest that my sister would be capable of such savagery towards her Mate." Itachi says.

It was only an hour or maybe a little less before dawn. Naruto could still see the Full Moon peeking out over the Hokage Mountains. Thankfully, it was also a warm summer's day. So no one would be cold.

That was a good thing because they had decided to hold their wedding outdoors in the Uchiha District. They kinda had to. The happy couple needed a lot of space to accommodate thousands of guests. Suki's District was really the only place big enough to do so.

"You're right. I was only joking though." The silver haired man replies.

It was amazing, really. The District was alive again. There had to be thousands of guests jammed into the crowded street with dozens of tables piled high with all kinds of food, drinks, and wedding gifts.

Naruto was rather surprised at that last part. Though he probably shouldn't have been. After all, he and Suki had helped to win the war. While people still might be uneasy about the Uchihas, they definitely considered him a hero. So that meant lots of presents.

"Good. That and my sister wouldn't want to damage that. She wants to restore our Clan. So she'd probably attack everything ELSE with her Chidori." Itachi says smugly.

"Yeah. That's true. You're baby sister definitely has claws, Itachi." Kisame observes.

Oh yeah. That sounded like Suki. She could be quite vicious when she wanted to be, but she could also be cuddly. Of course, he knew better than to actually say that and ruin her reputation of being scary. (She really would Chidori him, if he did that)!

There were banners everywhere. Uchiha, Uzumaki, Namikaze, and Leaf Banners. Colorful lanterns were strung up almost at every conceivable location, lighting up the early morning sky. There was also music playing in the background.

"Naruto, you had to Mate the one woman who could possibly kill you." Gaara says.

"Yeah. I know! I mean that's just part of the fun really. We tear into each other a lot, but we could never actually do it." Naruto says brightly.

He was wearing his Hokage Robes and Tsunade was going to officiate the ceremony. Everything in his mind was perfect as he stepped up to the silver alter that had been placed in the middle of the Uchiha District.

The blonde couldn't place the music for the life of him. It was just ancient and powerful. He'd never heard it before.

 _ **"Brat, it's tribal music. It comes from a time before the Leaf was even founded."**_ Kurama informs him.

 **"Oh cool. Well hopefully, Suki likes it."** He says brightly.

That's when he hears cries of fright coming from the crowd. Naruto blinks and looks around to see what on Earth was going on. Now, he could see what the "problem" was.

Their Summons. Garuda had taken to the skies and was flying around joyously. Aoda and Gamabunta were at the back of the District and watching. There was also Sakura's favorite Slug sitting next to her companions.

"Oh boy. Kakashi, do you want to take care of this one?" Naruto asks.

"This is such a drag. Now, the Summons have scared the guests have to death." Shikamaru says with a loud yawn.

That's when Kakashi sighs. He quickly uses a Jutsu to magnify his voice and attempts to soothe everyone's nerves. The last thing that they needed was a panic at his students' wedding.

"Everyone calm down. Those are merely Summons. They mean you no harm. Now, relax and enjoy the grand spectacle that I'm certain this wedding will undoubtedly be." He says with a smile.

Thankfully, that appeared to do the trick. Well that or Mirai's presence did. The cute little girl was now prancing about the Uchiha District's Streets as if she owned them. Naruto smiles as he watches her throw flowers everywhere.

"Asuma would be so proud." Itachi whispers to Shikamaru comfortingly as he places his hand on the other man's back.

"Yes. Yes, he would be." The other ninja says, uncharacteristically somber at the mention of his fallen Sensei.

That's when everyone gasps. Suki and her Bridal Procession had made their way out and were heading down the aisle. Kurenai was the one who was walking Suki down the aisle.

Suki had asked Itachi to do it, but he had said that he didn't want to risk it. The elder Uchiha didn't want to risk jinxing their wedding. After all, the reason why the father of the Bride couldn't do it was because Itachi had killed him. There was no need to remind people of that unpleasant fact.

"Well now I can see why he's willing to let her smack him around so much." Kiba says and Naruto gives his friend a dirty look.

Suki was something else in that kimono. Of course, this was Suki. She'd look good even in a potato sack, but this was on whole nother level.

The way that it glided behind her and the long sleeves swished through the air was utterly hypnotic. Not to mention, there was her natural grace to consider. It was Suki and yet it wasn't at the same time.

"There you are. Glad you didn't run off for once." Naruto whispers to her, once she made it to the alter with her Bridal Party.

"You're such a loser." Suki whispers back with a smile as she wraps her arms around his neck.

"And you're still an ice princess, but you're my ice princess." He retorts.

Thankfully, most of the guests couldn't hear what they were actually saying to each other. That was a damn good thing. Otherwise, Naruto was pretty sure they would have all been laughing at their rather _unique_ pet names for each other.

"Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today to celebrate the union of Naruto Uzumaki and Suki Uchiha. A Union that apparently is more a matter of formality than anything else. It seems the two of them were actually foolish enough to run off and get demonically married, but I digress." Tsunade begins.

Suki could feel her face burn red with embarrassment. Did she really have to mention their Mating in such casual terms? She felt like a Genin that had gotten caught making out with her teammate in the tent or something.

Naruto must have felt the same way though. He was blushing almost as red as Hinata could. That was both impressive and a little disturbing, really.

"It's so beautiful and youthful!" Lee cries out as he starts bawling with Lee soon joining in.

"Sand gag." Gaara mutters as he gags both men with his sand.

Suki looks at the red head gratefully. While it was perfectly normal for some people to cry at weddings, those two were extreme in everything they did. Their joyful sobbing was rather distract to put it mildly and she wanted to focus solely on Naruto.

They were about to be married. Well Tsunade was right. It was more a formality than anything, but still. It was the principle of the thing!

"Thanks, Granny Tsunade. Really, really appreciate the scolding." Naruto mutters quietly.

"You're welcome, brat." She whispers back.

"If there is anyone here who has any objections to this match, speak now or forever hold your peace. I would understand if there were objections. There are certain things that need to be considered like how many times that they've nearly killed each other, but I really wouldn't recommend objecting." The busty blonde continues.

Suki rolls her eyes. She supposed that the other woman was enjoying this. Tsunade was getting a little payback for everything that she'd put Naruto through. What ever.

Suki didn't care. One look at those sapphire blue eyes and she was a goner again. He was her own personal Sun. After spending so long in the darkness, the Uchiha woman didn't want to ever go back to it.

"If you do, it will mean a Chidoria, Rasengan, or Tsukuyomi." Itachi adds helpfully.

"No threatening the guests! Anyway, Naruto do you take Suki Uchiha to be your lawfully wedded wife? To love, honor, cherish, and to forsake all others for the rest of your days? To stand by her side in sickness and in health? In good times and in bad until death do you part?" Tsunade continues.

The Sunrise was beautiful. There were so many colors in the now blue sky. Pinks, oranges, reds, and yellow. None of them could compete with Naruto's smile at the moment though. It was simply beautiful.

"I do. Believe it!" He says happily and there were many chuckles from the crowd.

"Well that was enthusiastic as always. Suki do you take Naruto Uzumaki to be your lawfully wedded husband? To love, honor, cherish, and to forsake all others for the rest of your days? To stand by his side in sickness and in health? In good times and in bad until death do you part?" The former Hokage continues on.

"I do. Always." Suki replies automatically.

There was no hesitation in her voice. Suki doubted that she had ever been more sure of anything in her entire life before. Naruto was her Mate and now he was her husband. In time, he would also be the father of their children. He was her everything, even if she wanted to strangle him half the time.

She supposed that was how you knew that it was love though. If you didn't want to kill your intended sometimes, there wasn't really any passion there. Passion was what made love in her mind.

"Good. Then by the power vested in me by the Leaf Village and the Fire Nation, I pronounce thee man and wife. You may kiss the bride." Tsunade finishes.

Naruto smiles and grabs Suki by her waist, pulling her closer to him. He was only going to get married once. He might as well make a grand show of it.

The Hokage didn't want there to be any doubts that Suki was the only one for him. That and he figured it'd be a good start towards reassuring the villagers that Suki wasn't actually going to try to destroy the Leaf. Well at least not anymore.

"I love you." He whispers and Suki smiles.

"I love you too." She whispers back.

Naruto knew that she meant it. He could feel the panther practically purring with contentment in her mind. Which was a bit odd because panthers couldn't purr, but whatever.

He leans down and kisses her. The blonde really kisses her. Suki returns the kiss with equal passion. For a few moments, it was as if the rest of the world ceased to exist. Well that was until he heard some rather uncomfortable parents start to protest the rather passionate scene.

"Right. Right. Sorry. We got a little carried away there. Suki, can you sit down. I wanna get the garter belt." Naruto tells her.

Suki nods and sits down. Naruto then slowly slides the lacy material off of her legs. Her wonderfully long and shapely legs. Now, maybe he'd get to associate them with something besides how fast she could run away from him or how hard she'd kick. So the blonde was suddenly developing a new appreciation for his wife's legs to say the least.

"Here. Someone catch these!" Suki calls out as Naruto grabs the belt and she throws her bouquet of red roses into the crowd.

"Couldn't wait to get rid of the flowers, huh?" Naruto asks with a laugh as he throws the garter belt into the crowd.

"I'm a former S Class Criminal Ninja. Flowers aren't really my thing." Suki says with a shrug as a fight for the belt and flowers ensues.

Naruto and Suki blink a few minutes later. The fight was vicious to say the least. Eventually, the smoke clears to reveal that Lee had caught the belt and Sakura got the flowers.

"Serves her right." Suki mutters under her breath.

"Suki, be nice." Naruto gently chides his wife as he caresses her cheek.

Lee beams happily and drags Sakura to the dance floor. Naruto snorts in amusement when he saw his other teammate flail about helplessly as Suki smirks. Alright. His wife could be mean sometimes, but he loved her anyway.

 _ **"She planned that. Clever vixen."**_ Kurama says approvingly.

 **"Yeah. She totally planned that."** Naruto agrees.

Suki shakes her head in amusement and leads Naruto to the cake. Well there were actually a lot of wedding cakes, but this one was in a league of its own. It was easily twice Naruto's height and he was by no means short.

"How are we even going to cut this thing?" Naruto asks.

"Just use your clones." Suki tells him.

"Oh right! Shadow Clone Jutsu!" He calls out and suddenly there were three Naruto's

Naruto climbs up on the clones back and proceeds to cut the cake. Suki just watches on with a smile on her face. Well that was until Itachi walks over.

"Don't say anything stupid." She warns him.

"Foolish little sister, why would you feel the need to say such things to me? Don't you trust me?" He asks as he pokes her forehead.

"When it comes to not making light of my relationship with Naruto, no. Not really and stop poking my forehead!" She grumbles.

That's when Naruto hops down and glances at Itachi. Uh oh. This might not end well. He was going to have to do some major damage control.

"I just wanted to offer you both my well wishes and remind Naruto that if he would like to keep all of his reproductive capacities fully intact, he had best treat you the proper way a husband should treat his wife. Oh and I suppose that I should stop poking you. That's Naruto's job now." He says with a smirk.

"ITACHI!" Suki growls at him in outrage.

"Um right. Thanks. I think. You might want to go before she kills you. Come on, Suki. Let's go have our first dance as a married couple." Naruto says as he offers her his hand.

Suki mutters something about annoying older brothers and takes her husband's hand. He leads her out to the "dance floor." Well she supposed that dance street was more accurate, but that just didn't have the same ring to it.

"Sounds like a good idea to me." She agrees and with that, the two begin to dance.

"You know, you really look amazing in that kimono." Naruto tells her.

"Thank you. You look better in Hokage Robes than I thought you would. You actually really look like your father at the moment." Suki comments.

"You really think so?" Naruto asks as he twirls her around.

The way that kimono billowed around her was ethereal. Naruto didn't use that word often, but today it was definitely true. He doubted that he was ever going to forget today.

"Mhm. I really do." Suki says as she allows herself to be spun around.

"That's nice of you to say. Well speaking of nice, as much as I love the kimono…" Naruto begins and then pauses as he realizes this could definitely get him smacked.

"I sense a but coming." Suki replies, raising an eyebrow.

She didn't know what he was going to say, but Suki knew her husband. It was going to be something unexpected. God only knows what he was planning to say.

"You promised me that you'd cook me ramen in nothing, but a pink frilly apron. So I'm really looking forward to that!" He says cheerfully.

"Suki, did you really promise him that? Well I never would have expected you to be so playful. If you are into playing dress up for your husband, this book has lots of good ideas for you to select from." Kakashi says as he hands her a familiar orange book.

"Kakashi, get that filth away from me and I don't need any help pleasing my husband. Oh and stop eavesdropping on us! It's really creepy. I would Chidori you, but I don't want to start a panic." Suki warns him.

Naruto laughs. Well it wouldn't be Suki, if she wasn't threatening to kill or maim someone. Some things would never change.

"Kakashi Sensei, you might wanna go. Come on, Suki. Let's get in a few more dances and have some cake. Then we can sneak off and you can try on that apron for me later." He says brightly.

"Alright. I really hope that this doesn't become a fetish though. I hate pink." Suki sulks.


	21. Chapter 21

Primal

 **Author's Note:** Thanks for the reviews. I hope you all enjoy the Honeymoon Chapter.

Naruto talking to Kyuubi in **bold**.

Kyuubi talking to Naruto in _**bold italics.**_

Chapter 21

Suki wasn't sure how they managed it, but somehow she and Naruto had successfully snuck out of their own wedding party. From there, it had been a relatively short trip to the Land of Iron. Though she suspected that was largely because Garuda was kind enough to allow them to ride on his back.

"This is really cool. Does he let you ride him often?" Naruto asks as the Land of Iron comes into view.

"I don't ask him much. As much as I enjoy it, I figured it would be taken advantage of him. He's not like Gamabunta or Aoda. He's more animalistic. Hawks should be free to fly without restrictions." Suki says.

They had chosen the Land of Iron for the same reason because of its political status and geographic location. It was neutral and out of the way of the Ninja Nations. Therefore, it was perfect for their needs.

In Suki's mind, that meant that they could enjoy their Honeymoon in privacy. She really didn't want to have to deal with anyone gawking at them. That why they had both agreed to use the Tranformation Jutsu in public. It was just easier that way.

"Is that why you named your team, Taka? You wanted to be able to fly without restrictions?" Naruto asks a little sadly as he caressed her cheek.

Suki leans into the touch and sighs. She wasn't sure that she would ever be able to fully explain that period of her life to Naruto. That was before the Bond and she could only hope their Bond was more of a present thing. If Naruto felt what she had felt during those days, it wouldn't be good.

"That was part of it. Doesn't matter now though." She tells him as she turns around slightly and kisses him.

Garuda was landing, anyway. She no longer had to worry about guiding him. They were a short distance away from the Inn that they would be staying in. Pun intended.

They were just far enough away, that it was doubtful anyone would see the giant hawk. Though they were close enough, that Suki was confident that they could Flicker the rest of the way. It was the perfect landing location.

"You know you don't have to pretend it didn't happen. It's over now." Naruto whispers, after returning the kiss.

"I'd rather pretend that it didn't happen. Besides, it's freezing here. Let's get to the Inn." She says as she borrows into Naruto.

They had both thrown traveling cloaks over themselves. The Land of Iron was typically colder than the Leaf, but Suki had been to colder places. Truthfully, the last female Uchiha by blood did feel cold. It mostly an excuse though.

"Don't worry. I'll keep you nice and warm." He says with a grin as he wraps his arms protectively around her and they Flicker off.

 _ **"Not bad, Brat. You're learning, how to care for your Mate better and she's starting to accept her position more."**_ Kyuubi comments.

 **"Quiet! If she thinks you think that she's Submissive or whatever, Suki is going to kill both of us. That and I'd really appreciate it, if you let us enjoy our Honeymoon…alone."** Naruto snaps at the Nine Tails.

Suki smiles and snuggles against him as they Flicker off. She knew that Kurama and Naruto were bickering about something, but she didn't feel that it was really that important. It didn't merit "checking."

They were really married now. They were married and on their Honeymoon. To her, everything was perfect. The Uchiha didn't have a single care in the world on her mind at that moment.

 _ **"I'm not Jirayia. I wasn't going to interfere in such matters. I'll see you later, Brat."**_ Kurama assures him.

 **"Good because I would kill you, if you did."** Naruto warns him.

 _ **"As if a mere human could ever harm me. Brat, you should focus on your Mate instead of these delusional little fantasies of yours. I'll see you, after your done Claiming your Mate."**_ He says and with that, Kurama retreats into Naruto's mind to give them some privacy.

She knew that Garuda would disappear on his own. The hawk would go wherever it was that he went, when she didn't summon him. He was smart like that. Independent and wild.

"Not a bad Flicker. We're here." Suki says with a smile.

She had disguised herself. Her hair was now blood red and came to her waist and eyes were chocolate brown. She hadn't really bothered to alter her figure as that was annoying. Though her traveler's cloak would hide her wedding gown that would have given away her identity.

Likewise, Naruto was also in disguise. His blonde hair was now pitch black and eyes were forest green. He had made himself stockier to really throw people off the trail and gone were his whiskers.

"Hello. How may I help you?" The receptionist asks with a smile on her face.

"We have a reservation for the Honeymoon Suite under the name Rama." Naruto says in his newly velvety voice.

Naruto really had grown up. He realized that it was the little things that could give you away. Apparently, her blonde was capable of being stealthy. When he wanted to be.

"Oh! Of course! Congratulations." The blonde receptionist says with a sweet smile as she hands Naruto the key.

Suki idly notes that her name tag said Mina. Mina seemed like a nice woman. Definitely, a civilian though. She had no idea that she was looking at two of the most powerful ninjas in the world and that was just fine with Suki.

"Thanks." Naruto replies with a wink and with that, he scoops Suki up in his arms and carries her off Bridal Style.

"So where did you get the name Rama, anyway?" Suki asks.

She was quite content to just let Naruto cart her around. It reminded her of her childhood. Itachi used to give her piggyback rides and now, Naruto liked to carry her around Bridal Style. It was nice. She felt cherished in a way that was hard to articulate and that was why she wasn't going to complain about the position.

"Got it from the Second Hokage. Tobi-rama. I figured that it was the least that he could do. After all, a lot of our troubles can be traced back to him. I know that he didn't mean to cause all that, but he did." Naruto says.

"Mmm and I thought that you said the past didn't matter." Suki teases him.

"Maybe, it matters a little bit. The present and future are more important though. At least to me." The blonde replies as he carries her into their suite.

It was beautiful. Ivory cream colored walls and handsome oak wood floors. Suki could make out a red plush couch in the center along with a romantic fireplace. In the back, the Uchiha woman could see a small kitchen and even a bathroom. A bathroom with a rather inviting looking shower and hot tub.

Though what stole the show was the bedroom. A King sized bed with fluffy white pillows and silky matching blankets and sheets. Upon the bed were hundreds of red rose petals scattered around in the shape of the heart. There were scented candles all over the room, setting the mood.

"Wow." Suki whispers.

"Yeah. That about covers it. I'm gonna get out of my wedding clothes. Why don't you go see, if you can find anything for us to eat in the kitchen?" Naruto suggests.

"Sounds perfect." Suki says, after her husband sets her down and she then proceeds to head to the kitchen.

She couldn't believe that she was actually going to do this. A promise was a promise though. While Naruto was distracted, she sighs and slips out of her beautiful wedding gown.

The Uchiha woman exchanges it for a frilly pink apron. She felt beyond silly. She was a ninja. She didn't do frills and pink.

"I can't believe I backed myself into this corner." She mutters as she starts making the ramen.

Meanwhile Naruto had just changed into some more casual clothes, when he felt something through the bond. Suki was embarrassed about something. Embarrassed and perhaps a little indignant.

Curious, he heads to the kitchen to see what was going on. His wife was not a woman who got embarrassed easily. So he couldn't help, but feel a little worried.

"I can't believe I'm doing this." She grumbles as she boils the water for the ramen.

 **Warning Honeymoon Lemon**

 _Wow._ He hadn't actually expected her to do it. Suki was standing there in NOTHING, but the apron and making him ramen.

"Don't worry. You look amazing and I won't tell anyone." He whispers into her ear as he wraps his arms around her waist.

The pink thing had just been to mess with her. So had the frill thing, but the sight of his wife's slender back, the seductive curve of her hips, and shapely backside was definitely not a laughing matter. Now, he fully appreciated why he had chased her ass all over the Five Nations. _Damn._

"Mmm I look ridiculous and you know it." Suki whispers as she tilts her head back just enough to kiss him.

Naruto returns the kiss. She looked anything, but ridiculous. Alright, it was a bit strange to see an Uchiha in _pink_ and _frills_ , but still. He really needed to get her a mirror or something.

"You definitely don't look ridiculous. If it makes you feel any better though, the apron won't be staying on for long. Just let me enjoy this for a couple minutes." He growls lustfully as he lightly bites down on her Mating Mark.

The results were immediate. Suki gasps and moans as she arches against him and Naruto could feel a wave of white hot lust race through his Mate's veins. That combined with his own made him rather eager to assist his Mate with her _second goal._

"Mmm. You wanted me to make you ramen in an apron. I can't really do that in a couple minutes." Suki whispers as she shivers.

Naruto could see some goosebumps had formed on her arms. Suki was really into it. Thanks to the Mating Bond, he knew why. She'd probably die before admitting this, but the raven haired woman really was the Submissive Mate between the two of them.

"Screw the ramen. I'd rather have you." He murmurs into her ear as he turns off the stove.

There was something rather satisfying about seeing her ivory pale skin turn a rosy shade of pink. Ha! He had actually made Suki Uchiha blush. He doubted many people could say that!

"By your standards, that's quite the romantic declaration." Suki says as she turns around and wraps her arms around his neck.

"Yeah. I thought so too. Gotta say that I like the view from the back." He states.

"And Jirayia apparently rubbed off on you more than I originally thought." Suki says as she slides one of her hands down to find the zipper of his pants.

He'd never really paid that much attention to Pervy Sage's babbling or his books. That or his habit of peeking on women in bathhouses, but Naruto had had near constant exposure to that type of thing. Some of it was bound to sink in. So he had a pretty good idea of what he was supposed to do here.

"Maybe, a little." The blonde replies as he slowly undoes the tie to her apron.

"There are a lot of adjectives that could apply here. I don't think _little_ is one of them." Suki says with a smirk.

That smirk, really should be illegal. God, that was sexy. If he hadn't already been fully ready to go, he damn sure was now.

"That was surprisingly nice of you to say. I think the pink is rubbing off on you. Maybe we should keep it." He says with a grin.

"You're such a loser." Suki replies with a roll of her eyes as she tugs off his pants and boxers rather quickly.

A half naked Suki could call him whatever he wanted. That was especially true when she was working on stripping him. Rather diligently, he might add.

"Maybe, but I'm your loser." He says.

"Yes, you are. I'd kill another woman for even looking at you." Suki warns him with a growl, her eyes now ruby red as she yanks off his shirt.

That should have disturbed him, but for some reason his kunai liked the sound of that. A lot. It liked what he saw when he slide off her apron even better though. _Wow._

Ivory cream pale skin was everywhere. Her ample breasts were on full display and crowned by rather perky looking rosebuds. Her stomach was toned as was her back from years or training. That slender tummy spanned out into wide his and a glorious backside that he was already familiar with. Though it was nice to see all of her legs bare and more…intimate areas.

"Well, you didn't kill Hinata." He says.

"Hinata is an exception. She's far too honorable and smart to try to steal you away from me." Suki says and Naruto found that he couldn't really argue with that line of thinking. (It really did sound like the shy Hyuga Heiress).

Suki smiles as she finishes stripping her blonde. The raven haired woman had never been more grateful for ninja training in her life. It did produce wonderful results when it came to sculpting the male form.

Everywhere she looked was sun kissed skin and muscle. She wasn't sure when the scrawny loudmouth that she had always fought with as a child, morphed into this. She liked it though.

"So how did you want to…go about this?" Suki asks as she places a few soft kisses along his Mating Mark and then nibbles on his ears.

"Th-at's a good start. You c-an start there." Naruto groans out.

Suki smiles slyly. There were definite benefits to the Mating Mark. They were so wonderfully sensitive. She slides her hands over his muscular chest, exploring. Reveling in the muscles that she felt underneath her fingertips and marveling at how _warm_ he was.

"Glad to hear it. I imagine that you have a lot of ideas though. After all, didn't Jirayia make you read his books? That and you're creative. Annoyingly creative at times actually." Suki says as she continues her exploration.

Naruto was definitely enjoying it. The ball of light in her mind was practically radiating contentment and desire. It was all reflected in his eyes. Those wonderfully blue, sapphire eyes of his.

He kisses her neck and nips at her Mating Mark briefly, before licking it soothingly. Suki could only moan in response and arches into him. God, that felt incredible.

"Well when I saw you like that, I wasn't really feeling that creative. More like an animal. I was kinda thinking about just bending you over the countertop." Naruto admits between kisses and with that, he begins to caress her breasts.

Suki shivers in pleasure. The feeling of his hands against her skin there felt indescribably good. She feels her nipples tighten and her lower half begin to grow wet with desire.

"Didn't know you were such an animal. Must be Kurama's influence." She teases him as she slowly works up the nerve to slide her hands further down and takes his arousal into one. She strokes it gently.

Suki wasn't really sure how hard and fast was too hard and fast. Apparently, Naruto didn't mind the pace though. He begins to thrust into her hand and growls lustfully. Suki liked it when he did that. A lot.

"Maybe a little. You know I'm thinking about making some sort of decree. No clothes for you while we're in our house alone." He tells her as he takes one nipple into his mouth and sucks.

"Nhh! Th-at's such an abuse of your power!" The raven haired woman cries out ecstasy.

Naruto knew that it probably was. He was only joking though. Still he was Hokage. There might as well be some perks to it. He loved her wonderfully sensitive her breasts were, but he was interested in exploring other areas.

More southern ones. Slowly, he slides his hand between her thighs and cups her womanhood. Instantly, he feels Suki buck against his touch and smirks. She was already wet. From what he had read in the Pervy Sage's books that was a good sign.

"You're definitely not an Ice Princess anymore." Naruto says.

"You're such an idiot." Suki grumbles as she strokes him harder and faster in retaliation.

Naruto groans. That was fighting dirty and she knew it. Well he could play that game too! He brushes his thumb against her clit and was gratified to her moan.

"Maybe, but I'm the idiot that can make you moan. I want you to be a good Suki and head to the bedroom. Then I want you to lay down on the bed. Got it?" He says.

Suki blinks as she looks at him in shock. He couldn't just touch her like _that_ and just _stop_ that was cruel of him. She wasn't proud of it, but was almost positive that a whimper escaped her lips.

"Trust me. I promise, it'll be worth it." He tells her.

Suki nods sand slowly makes her way to the bed. She sways her hips from side to side as she does so. She might as well put on a show, she decides.

It didn't take long for her to lay down on the bed and for Naruto to join her. That's when he did something she never expected. He hovered over her with his arousal by her face and his face by her…most intimate place.

"Suck. I think that we should use our mouths on each other for something other than kissing and insults." He says.

Normally, Suki would have told him to go jump off the nearest cliff. She wasn't familiar with this act and it wasn't really something that had ever appealed to her, but there was just something commanding about that tone of voice. That and he was offering to return the favor.

"You better have meant it, when you said that it would be worth it." She warns him as she shyly takes a lick.

Naruto groans. That was easier than expected. He had expected a Chidori or at least a fireball aimed at him for that suggestion. She must have been really worked up and that was his last thought before his brain shut completely down.

The only thing that he could really process was how good her tongue felt _there_ and that he wanted to make her feel equally good. With that thought in mind, he flicks his tongue against her womanhood and smirks when he hears her moan. It looked like she was just as sensitive down there as he was. Good to know.

"Trust me, I meant it." He says smugly.

Suki shakes her head and glances at his arousal. There was no way she was going to be able to fit all that into her mouth and she was suddenly having a few concerns about how they were going to _fit_ in other ways.

Oh well. She'd get to that later. The Uchiha woman takes the tip into her mouth and sucks lightly. Upon hearing Naruto's strangled groan, Suki decides she was doing something right and sucks harder.

"P-erfect. Just like that." Her husband pants out as he licks her harder and faster while toying with her clit.

That felt so good. Suki was practically seeing stars at the moment. She knew that she was spiraling closer to something. Something blissful. With that in mind, she licks and drags her teeth lightly against the sensitive flesh as she takes more of him into her mouth.

"Suki, st-op that. I can't hold back, if you keep that up." He warns her.

Well that was fine with her. He tasted a bit salty, but not bad. The act of giving him this intimate attention wasn't erotic to her by itself, but his reaction definitely was. His reaction made her get even more soaked with desire. She could humor him with this, she decides as she sucks harder and faster.

Her Mate must have picked up on the direction of her thoughts because he teases her clit more and licks her possessively. Suki moans as she tumbles over the edge and reaches her climax. Naruto came hard and fast.

"Mmm we fin-ally have a good use for that big mouth of yours." She taunts him.

"Oh that's it! Get on your hands and knees." Naruto growls out.

Suki bites back an meep. Naruto sounded so _animalistic._ Normally, she would have argued or taunted him. That didn't seem like a good idea though.

That and her mind was still pleasantly numb from her first climax. She wanted a second. If he wanted to take a walk on the wild side, well she'd humor him.

"Now or I can bend you over the bed, if you prefer." The blonde warns her.

The other ninja needed no further prompting as she gets on her hands and knees. She feels her face burn red. This position was rather… embarrassing. She felt so _exposed_.

"God, you're beautiful." He growls in approval as he gets behind her.

Just like that, her self-consciousness was gone. On some level, she knew that was stupid. She'd been called beautiful before. A lot. It meant more when Naruto said it though.

"So are you." She replies automatically, much to Naruto's amusement.

"About time you noticed." He teases her as he slides his hands over the over back and over backside, slowly parting her legs.

Suki feels herself tense up instinctively. She wasn't used to well any of this. A few caresses and murmurs of assurances though, solved that with ease.

"Just relax. I know it's different for women, but it'll feel good soon. I promise." He tells her.

"Alright." She says as she glances back at her husband with ruby red eyes that were filled with trust.

Naruto nods approvingly and slowly slides into her. Suki squirms wildly in response. She knew that he was big, but this was ridiculous. She'd never felt this full before and she feels something inside her tear.

She knew what it was though. There went her "innocence," she muses to herself. It was rather ironic in the way, that had been the only innocent thing left about her and now, that was gone as well.

Not that she had been innocent for a very long time, but she supposed that this made sense in a way. Naruto had been her first everything. Her first rival. Her first kiss. Her first friend and now her first (and only) lover.

"You alright?" He whispers as he places a series of soft kisses along her Mating Mark.

"It's okay. I'm not made of glass. You can move." She says.

She knew what to expect in theory. It was just the actual application that was a little disorientating. If he started to move though, Suki was fairly certain that the foreign sensation of filling this full would begin to feel good.

"Okay. Tell me, if it hurts though. Tell me what you like." Naruto instructs as he bites down lightly on her mark and begins to slowly move inside her.

It felt unbelievable good. Now, Naruto really understood the reason why he had chased her. They fit together perfectly. Well at least from his perspecitve.

She was so hot, wet, and tight. It was like she was made just ofr him. They were finally completely connected in every way possible. There was only one problem though. Suki needed time to adjust. That fact somehow penetrated through his haze of euphoria and lust, but only barely.

"I like it when you kiss or bite my Mating Mark. I like it when you touch my breasts and down there. And when you growl." Suki whispers.

Naruto groans. He hadn't actually expected her to do it. There was something primal about the feeling of knowing that she _liked_ being touched by him that was driving him crazy.

"In that case, can I go faster?" Naruto growls at her.

"Yes. I want you to. You don't hold back when you fight me. So why are you holding back when you love me?" She says with a challenging tone to her voice.

That was all it took. Something inside Naruto snapped. There went his self-control.

"You really shouldn't have said that." He growls lustfully into her ear as he begins claimer her faster and faster.

It was all perfection. Every moan that she made. The warmth of her skin against his. Being inside her was pure bliss and especially seeing _**HIS**_ mark on her.

"Nnhh! Na-ruto. Harder! J-ust a little more." She moans as she grabs one of his hands and places it over her breasts and another over her womanhood.

So that's what she wanted. Well Naruto definitely wasn't going to resist that invitation. He caresses her breasts and most intimate place. He could practically hear the panther purr with contentment as Suki moans and even screams when he strikes a certain spot inside her.

It took a few tries, but eventually he finds that spot again. There was nothing more beautiful than watching Suki underneath him, writhing in pleasure. Every thrust, every touch sent him closer and closer to the edge. It didn't take them long to both fall over it together.

"Wow." Suki stammers out between pants and Naruto could only nod in agreement as he slowly slides out of her.

He doubted that he'd be able to formulate actual words, anytime soon. His heart was pounding and he was panting, but his entire body just felt so _good._ He didn't know that the human body could feel this good.

"Y-eah." He agrees and then he blinks when Suki turns around and ksises him.

That wasn't all that she did though. Suki quickly pushes him onto his back and straddles his waist. Naruto wasn't about to complain though. The view was stunning.

"Do you think that you could go again? I know that men usually need time to…recover." She whispers.

"Yeah. I can definitely go again." Naruto says as he caresses the small of her back.

"Good. It wouldn't be very fair, if you got to take the reigns and I didn't." Suki says rather insistently.

She wanted to take the reigns? This woman was going to kill him, but damn. What a way to go. At least he knew that he was going to die with a smile on his face.

Suki slowly slide on top of him and the rest of the night passed by in a sea of passion. Naruto could remember quite clearly the sight of Suki's dark tresses draped around her fair skin and the way that her breasts bounce as she rode him though.

It took awhile for them to line up perfectly. They had both been so frantic for each other that the finer points of lovemaking had given way to animalistic passion, but that was just fine with them. They fit together perfectly and that was really all that mattered.

"Naruto!" Suki screams in pleasure as spiraled into her climax again.

"Suki!" He calls out as he joins her in pure bliss.

After that, he slowly slides out of her and wraps his arms around her protectively. Naruto had no idea how he was ever going to focus on his actual Hokage duties again. Not when he knew that _this_ was an option!

 **End Honeymoon Lemon**

"I'm never going to be able to focus on anything, ever again. You know that, right? And it's all your fault." Naruto tells her as he holds his wife.

"Mmm. You're saying that like you didn't already have the attention span of a gnat." Suki taunts him with a smirk.

"Hey! I have a great attention span. I spent years trying to get you back and it worked." The blonde retorts defensively.

Suki smiles and caresses his cheek. That was such a Naruto response. It was just one of the many reasons why she loved him.

"Mm that's true. I guess you're just so obsessed with me, that you can't focus on anything else. If you're a good Hokage though, I might let you make good use of that desk on your lunch breaks." She tells him.

"In that case, I'll be the GREATEST Hokage ever! Believe it!" Naruto says and Suki just laughs.

"Mmm you already are, but I'm sure that you'll continue to be so. Good night." Suki says with a yawn as she snuggles closer to her lover.

This was nice. Having someone to hold her was nice. She could get used to falling asleep in his arms after spending the night being together. That was the last thought on her mind before she fell asleep and Naruto followed her into the Land of Dreams, not long after.


	22. Chapter 22

Primal

 **Author's Note:** Thanks for the reviews. I hope that you all enjoy the grand finale of _**Primal.**_

Naruto talking to Kyuubi in **bold**.

Kyuubi talking to Naruto in _**bold italics.**_

 **Chapter Notation:** This takes place four years after the last one. I also put warnings before and after the first delivery scene. I didn't go into graphic detail. Though if you're squeamish, you can skip it with ease and the plot won't be altered.

Chapter 22

Three years later, Suki shakes her head as she watches Naruto race around the Uchiha District. The Hokage might have been able to defeat Madara, but he was no match for the Terrifying Threes. Though apparently, he liked to think that he was.

The twins were their pride and joy. It hadn't taken long after their official marriage for Suki to become pregnant and now they had two beautiful toddlers. Nariko and Yoko.

"You know that you're never going to catch them. Not without Shadow Clones." Suki informs her husband.

"What? No way! That's cheating! That wouldn't be fair. I mean they're only three. It's not like they can do Shadow Clones." Naruto retorts.

Suki rolls her eyes playfully at her husband's logic. She doubted very much that either toddler was capable of scolding him for cheating, even if they were rather articulate for children their age.

"Foolish little sister, you know that Naruto always has to do things the hard way." Itachi observes with no small amount of mirth.

"Mmm that's very true." The raven haired woman agrees with a fond smile as she watches her husband get outsmarted by a pair of three year olds.

It was amazing, really. Naruto was easily one of the strongest ninjas to have ever lived and yet, their daughters could run circles around them. Suki didn't have any idea where the twins got all their energy, really.

On second thought, she did. They must have inherited it from Naruto. She didn't mind though. Naruto and their daughters were the center of her world. Well them and Itachi. Everyone else were little more than an afterthought.

"I'm betting that the next one is going to be a boy. You have two girls. So make sure it's a boy. I got a lot of money, riding on this one." Kisame adds.

Suki snorts and subtly hurls a fireball at the former Criminal Ninja. She couldn't believe that Kisame was actually doing something as childish as betting on her next child's gender. Well at least Itachi would never participate in such tomfoolery.

"I'm betting that it's going to be a blonde. Naruto has blonde hair and so did his father. It's a recessive trait, but it's one that his family has had for at least two generations. It's bound to pop up sooner or later." Her brother continues.

The pregnant Uchiha Matriarch twitches. She couldn't believe this! Itachi had bet on her child's hair color AND he thought that there was going to be a blonde Uchiha!

"And you call me foolish. Ha! As if there is ever going to be a blonde Uchiha!" She grumbles.

"Oh don't look so irritated. You're my baby sister and you're having babies. It's only natural that I would be thinking of my future niece or nephew." The other ninja states.

"I still can't believe that you bet on my child!" Suki scolds him.

She shakes her head in disbelief. A few years ago, she never believed that such a thing would occur. Mostly because she had been planning on killing Itachi to avenge their family, but also because it was Itachi.

Gambling was something that normal people did. Itachi was many things, but normal wasn't one of them. That was something that Suki knew for sure.

"Fox Daddy, UP! UP!" Nariko calls out excitedly.

Suki watches as Naruto scoops the younger twin up into his arms and rises her up over his head and down again. He does this multiple times. Nariko was certainly the more assertive of her two twins. Though she supposed it was a bit early to make such a definitive statement.

She was the youngest by about five minutes. The adorable girl had been born just as a storm was raging outside the hospital. A thunderstorm. That was why her name meant Child of Thunder. (Well that and Suki's affinity for lightning).

"Alright! Here you go! Up!" He says with a smile as he continues picking her up and putting her back down.

Meanwhile Yoko toddles over to her mother, uncle, and Kisame. Suki smiles down at her eldest and scoops her up in her arms. Yoko didn't really demand things, but she got her point across.

"Mommy! Kitty!" Yoko says innocently and Suki tilts her head, not sure what her daughter wanted.

Yoko had been born just as the Sun was rising up into the sky and the thunderstorm was raging. Her name meant Child of the Sun and it was fitting. Like her father, she was always smiling.

"That's right. We got you and your sister a nice kitty to play with." Kakashi says with a smile as he makes his way over to the others.

Sakura, Hinata, and Gaara were at his side. Suki mentally sighs and braces herself. This could only mean one thing. Complete chaos.

"Oh fine. We can keep the cat. I'm not going to have them look at me with those sad eyes, if we don't." Suki says with a defeated sigh.

"It's Sandy!" Narika calls out happily.

Suki smirks. She was pretty sure her daughters were the only people who could ever get away with calling Gaara that his face. Though in their case, they had an excuse. They were only three.

"Oh hey, Gaara! It's good to see you again. What are you doing here?" Naruto asks as he carries Narika over to see the red head.

"I thought that we might go over some plans for the Chunin Exams. Suki is getting rather close to her due date and it would be smarter to have this sort of thing squared away before she goes into labor. I am not going to be in this village when that happens, by the way. Oh and that's a wise decision, Suki. You wouldn't want your children to throw a temper tantrum over the cat." Gaara states dryly.

Suki makes a rather rude gesture at the back of the Kazekage's head for that comment. Hmpf. As if he had any room to talk! Gaara was a guy. He didn't know the absolute agony of labor!

"No. We wouldn't. You have no idea what our children are capable of when they're angry." Suki warns him.

"I'm sure that they're quite terrifying." Gaara says as he rolls his eyes playfully.

It was worth it though. She wouldn't trade the twins for the world. Suki smiles as she remembers the day that they were born.

 **Warning Delivery Scene**

 _Childbirth was the most sadistic form of torture that Suki Uchiha had ever experienced and that was certainly saying something, considering everything that she had been through. Getting turned into a human pincushion by Haku. Her brother's Genjutsu. The various experiments done to her at the Sound. All her battles. The war. None of it could compare to the horror that were contractions._

 _"Naruto, I love you. I love you more than anything. If you don't back the Hell away from me right now though, I will kill you!" Suki hisses at her husband as another of them hit._

" _Alright! Alright! I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I'm here though. You know that, right?" Naruto asked as he wisely took several steps back._

 _Suki knew that. She knew that and she appreciated it. Naruto had completely spoiled her throughout her pregnancy. The man wouldn't even allow her to so much as stub a toe without going into a panic, but the raven haired woman was having a very hard time remembering that. At the moment, she was in so much pain!_

 _The Bond she had with Naruto and the love she had for her twins was what made it labor somehow bearable. It took the better part of a day for her to bring her twins into the world and many death threats, but finally they arrived._

 _"WAHHHH!" Came a loud cry from their first child._

 _"It's a girl!" Tsunade told her as she took the child into her arms and handed it to Shizune._

 _The Sun had just risen in the sky as their child took their first breaths. Suki thought that was rather poetic. Naruto had always been her Sun. He kept the Darkness at bay and their child had been born when the Sun was rising._

 _"Suki, I'm going to need you to push again. You still have another child to deliver." Tsunade told her._

 _Suki cursed Tsunade out rather colorfully at that encouragement. The medic just snorted in amusement in response. She apparently was used to this sort of behavior from first time mothers, especially when they were ninjas._

 _"You can sass me later. Push!" She stated._

 _A few minutes later, another cry is heard throughout the room. This time, it happened just as the thunder clapped. Suki also found that fitting in a strange way. After all, thunder and lightning went together and her favorite attack was the Chidori._

 _"Good girl. Let's have a look at this one." Tsunade told Suki as she inspected the baby and Shizune helped the woman clean up, after making sure that the woman was alright._

 _"You alright?" Naruto asked in concern as he caressed her cheek._

 _"I'm more worried about them than me." Suki whispered as she kissed Naruto's hand._

 _She felt tremendously guilty for yelling at her Mate and threatening him. It wasn't Naruto's fault that childbirth was anything, but fun. That was just the way that it worked._

 _"Congratulations. You have two beautiful, healthy baby girls. Two little Princesses of the Hidden Leaf. Oh and they're identical twins." Tsunade informed her as she placed the girls in Suki's arms._

 _Suki smiled down at her daughters. Both of them had inherited her raven black hair and her fair skin. They also had their father's sapphire blue eyes and his whisker like markings._

 _"They're adorable, Suki." Naruto told her as he smiled down at their twins and kissed her forehead._

 _"They better be after, what I went through. Our Yoko and Narika." The Uchiha Matriarch informed him._

 _Naruto beamed and nodded. That's when Suki saw the slightly confused expression on his face and mentally groaned. He was about to stay something stupid. She just knew it._

 _"Those are nice names, but which is which and how are we going to tell them apart?" Naruto asked._

 _"The eldest shall be Yoko. The youngest will be Narika. As far as telling them apart, we'll learn to tell the difference eventually. They may be identical physically, but eventually their personalities won't be." Suki said as she nursed them._

 _"Yeah. You're right." Naruto said with a smile as he snuggled into his new family, the very picture of fatherly pride._

 **End of Delivery Scene**

After Suki had recovered, the birth of their twins was announced. A grand celebration was held that lasted for days. After all, it wasn't every day that a Hokage had a child. Let alone two.

"Yeah. That's probably be a good idea and Suki, I saw that." Naruto says with a laugh as he walks over to his wife and wraps his arms around her stomach.

Her stomach which was much more round than usual. Suki always said that she felt like a Pufferfish when she was pregnant. Naruto thought that it was cute though.

Of course, he knew better than to actually say that. Well at least anymore. Not unless he was willing to dodge a half-hearted fireball. Women apparently became much more sensitive about their weight when they were expecting.

"Saw what?" She asks innocently.

"That you flipped Gaara off. Be nice. Be a good Suki." He states in mock seriousness as he snuggled into his beautiful Mate.

"If you wanted a good girl, you wouldn't have married me." Suki says with a smirk as she leans back into his embrace.

Gaara snorts at that retort. He couldn't really argue with the accuracy of that one. Suki definitely was not a good girl. Though apparently, motherhood agreed with her. It had been awhile since she had seriously threatened to kill anyone.

"She's got you there." The Kazekage mutters.

"Hey! Quiet! You're not helping!" Naruto grumbles as he kisses Suki's Mating Mark.

"Mmm alright. I'll be nice to Red. Well nicer." Suki says as she sighs in contentment at the affectionate gesture.

Naruto smiles. He really wished that he had given her the Mating Mark a lot sooner. It made this so much easier.

All he had to do was touch her there and she transformed from a vicious panther into a cuddly kitten. Again, he wasn't dumb enough to actually call her that to her face though.

"That's better." Naruto say smugly.

 _ **"Well it's about time that you started acting like the Dominant Mate."**_ Kurama observes in amusement.

 **"Careful, Kurama. Suki can tell when you're talking about her."** Naruto warns him.

Just like that, Suki activates her Sharingan and is inside Naruto's mind. The woman marches right up to his cage and Naruto sighs. Well this was going to be a Hell of a shower.

"You really think that I don't know when you're running your mouth about me, furball?" She demands.

 _ **"I'm just happy that you've acknowledged your place as the Submissive Mate. Don't get me wrong. You lead him around by his kunai for years. He was just too dense to notice it, but you're the Submissive Mate now."**_ He answers her.

That was all that it took. Suki dispersed Kyubbi and mutters some rather unflattering things about him under hear breath.

Naruto laughs as they make their way back to everyone else. He was sure that Sakura, Kakashi, Hinata, and Kisame thought he was nuts. It was just part of having a Tailed Beast as your friend.

"Sorry. It was Kurama." He says in embarrassment.

"Grandpa Foxie!" Yoko "corrects" him and Naruto chuckles.

"Yeah. You could say that. Kinda." He replies as he kisses the top of her head.

It was the strangest thing. If anyone had ever told him that his life would turn out this way, the Hokage would have laughed in their face. Well back when he was a Genin and even when he was trying to bring Suki back to he Leaf.

"They're so cute." Hinata laughs.

"Yes, they are." Suki agrees proudly with the Hyuga Heiress.

Now, they were married with two children. A third was on the way and Suki was apparently just fine with being a housewife. Though she preferred the title Matriarch.

"Silly Foxie Grandpa." Narika says as she giggles with her twin.

"Yes, he's a very silly foxie." Suki agrees.

Naruto really didn't really see the difference between a Matriarch and a Housewife. Suki apparently did though. So he was more than content to humor her.

It was better to humor her. A happy Suki sometimes meant a Suki who would still cook for him in nothing, but an apron. Though the aprons were no longer pink and frilly.

"Really, Naruto? Maybe, after the baby is born we can take care of your little fantasies. Though if you're a good foxie, maybe I'll pet you a bit later." Suki whispers hotly into his ear.

Damn. Right. The Mating Bond. Suki must have sensed that he was thinking about the aprons and the other outfits she'd wear for him. Outfits that Nariko and Yoko were NEVER going to be allowed to wear! (He really loved her rather impressive lingerie collection though)!

"Sounds good to me. So do you really think that this one will be blonde like me?" Naruto asks cheerfully.

"Why does everyone think that this one is going to be blonde?! There has never been a blonde Uchiha!" Suki gurmbles.

"Well there kinda is. I mean I married you and I took your last name." Naruto points out.

He smirks when he sees his wife get all flustered and indignant. Suki really did have quite the colorful vocabulary when she got annoyed.

"You KNOW what I meant. I meant a blonde Uchiha by BIRTH!" She says.

"I guess we'll just have to see what happens. Besides, you said that you wanted to restore your Clan. Three is kinda a small restoration. So odds are we'll eventually get a blonde son or daughter." He says smugly.

"You're impossible." Suki mutters as she kisses him.

Naruto smiles and kisses back. He was pretty damn content to kiss his mate until he heard a cough. Apparently, Gaara wasn't that interested in getting an eyeful and neither was Itachi.

"Sorry, guys. Guess we got a little carried away." He says sheepishly.

"And now I understand how my foolish little sister, became a foolish little mother." Itachi says with a chuckle.

Suki gives him a dirty look and Naruto tries his best not to laugh. It was impossible though. Damn. His wife was so going to kill her brother!

Two weeks and one very frightened Naruto later, a loud cry is heard in the hospital. The cry of their third child being born. As Tsunade was inspecting this one, Naruto notices that this child had a head of GOLDEN hair.

"Don't say it, loser. Don't sway it." Suki mutters.

"I thought you said that there would never be a blonde Uchiha by BIRTH!" He says smugly.

"Oh I'm sorry. What was that you were saying? You want to sleep on the couch for a month? Is that what you said, Naruto? Because I could swear that's what I heard." Suki growls at him.

 _ **"It's never a good idea to tease a woman who has just given birth."**_ Kurama points out.

 **"Oh NOW, you tell me?!"** Naruto snaps at the Fox Demon.

That's when Suki looks around and smiles as she sees Nariko and Yoko come bounding in. Both of the girls were rather eager to meet their new brother.

"Here you are, Suki. You and Naruto now have a very handsome son. As you already heard, he takes after Naruto's side of the family." The medic informs her with no small trace of mirth to her voice.

"Yes, I heard." Suki says as she sighs and takes the baby into her hands.

It was primal, really. The only thing that could rival the bond that she had with Naruto was the love she felt for their three children. She didn't even really mind that he was blonde.

Naruto was just going to be annoying about that. He was never going to let her live that down, but it was hard to be angry. Not when she was staring down at such an adorable little face.

"I was correct about the hair." Itachi says smugly.

"Oh shut up!" Suki grumbles at her brother as she smiles down at her son.

He had Naruto's blonde hair in color, but the texture of an Uchiha. His eyes were blue, but he had ivory pale skin and her facial features. It was a strange mixture of Naruto, Minato, Suki, and even hints of Madara.

"We are so not letting him grow out his hair like Madara did. That would be too weird." Naruto says.

"Yeah. We'll make sure that he keeps it normal. Your father had a good haircut." Suki observes.

"Well if it gets me off the couch, I could grow mine that way." Naruto offers.

Suki rolls her eyes. Naruto was Naruto. It was impossible to stay made at him for long. He was just too cute sometimes. Though she'd never admit that.

"Hello, little brother!" Akira says cheerfully as she gets up in the newborns face.

` "Hiya!" Yoko says brightly as she does the same.

"WAHHHH!" The infants starts bawling, not really liking being ambushed in such a fashion.

"I think that we should call this one Daichi." Naruto says happily.

"Grand or impressive first son. Mmm it's accurate. Alright, Daichi it is." Suki says with a smile.

"Oh don't cry! Here look! Look! Pretty lights!" Narika says as she breathes out a fireball.

Suki blinks. Her three year old had just spat out fire and she couldn't be prouder. Now, that was a true Uchiha.

"You gonna start a fire!" Yoko says as she puffs out a jet of water from her mouth.

Water? She had no idea where Yoko got that one, but well that was still impressive. Their children were already displaying their ninja abilities without any training.

"God help us all, by the time they're old enough to attend the Academy." Sakura says with a dramatic sigh.

"Sakura, be nice. Well we have to give little Daichi his shots." Tsunade says as she scoops up the child and proceeds to do exactly that.

The only problem was that she received a nasty shock. Daichi was radiating a rather crude and mild form of the Chidori, but still he was a newborn.

"I knew that these kids were going to be a handful." Tsunade grumbles.

"Sorry, Granny Tsunade. He's just a baby. He doesn't know any better." Naruto says quickly.

"Yes, brat. I know. I know." The busty blonde says.

"Come on, now! We want to see the boy too!" Suki hears a familiar voice shout from outside the window.

She blinks when she sees who it was. It was Gamabunta, Aoda, and Garuda. Apparently, they all wanted to see the newborn as well.

"You're kid is already the life of the party. He's got three Summons trying to see him and everything." Kisame comments.

"The Hatchling is very handsome." Aoda comments, after Daichi is briefly held up to the window.

"Thank you, Aoda." Suki says with a smile.

Gamabunta and Garuda also have a good long look at the newborn. They both knew that they would have to protect him at some point. It was a foregone conclusion. After all, Suki's and Naruto's children were obviously going to be a magnet for trouble as they got over.

"Cute kid. Let's hope he's not as much of a troublemaker as his father." Gamabunta agrees.

"Hey!" Naruto protests and Suki just laughs.

"We'll take him to meet the rest of the Rookie Nine later." The Uchiha Matriarch says with a proud smile.

"Yeah. We will." Naruto says with a smile.

A few weeks later, the family was back in their home. Suki and Naruto had both finished putting the twins and Daichi to bed. Ah. At long last, peace and quiet.

"I love them, but man are they a handful sometimes." Her husband says.

"Mmm. You know, I could say the same thing about you. So I guess they really do take more after their father than me." Suki teases him as she wraps her arms around his neck.

"I'm the handful? Who is the one who had me chase her all over the Five Nations for YEARS?!" Naruto demands.

Suki shrugs. That was a fair point, but there was no way that she was going to let him win the argument. It was the principle of the thing.

"Yes, you're the handful. You actually believed that our Bond was just the bond of friends. Are dense can you get?" Suki retorts.

"Alright. Alright. I kinda deserved that one." Naruto says with a sigh as he concedes defeat.

Suki smiles and kisses him. That was better. She knew that she'd win sooner or later. After all, she was the one who was largely in charge of playtime. She just let him think he was in charge.

Naruto smiles and kisses back. He definitely felt his Mate's smugness though. He was going to have to prove that he wasn't a pushover.

"As soon as your better, we'll let Itachi watch the kids for a week." Naruto says.

Suki tilts her head. She didn't really understand why Itachi would have to watch the children for a week. Despite that, the former ninja shrugs and nods her head.

"Alright. Why is my brother going to be watching them for a week though?" She asks.

"Well because daddy likes his alone time with mommy and the kids need their sleep. Mommy can get really loud sometimes, especially when she's screaming daddy's name." He says with a smirk and Suki shivers.

Alright. Most of the time, Naruto was sweet. He was practically an angel really, but there were times when he could even more of an animal than Kyuubi.

"Mmm in that case, I'll ask Itachi to babysit them. You should rank that as an S Class Mission though. In all fairness, our children are rather…energetic." Suki says with a sly smile.

"That's true. I'll mark it as an S Class Mission. I mean he's going to be dealing with three children under the age of five. That can be rough for anyone and that's before they all started using chakra natures." Naruto says with a laugh.

"Mmm that's true and by the way, I was thinking six." Suki says as she turns to saunter off.

Suki smirks as she does so. She knew that Naruto would ask what she meant by that. It would be almost impossible for him not to.

"Wait. Six what?" The Hokage inquires in confusion.

"Six children. I think six is a good Clan Restoration and we really don't want to be outnumbered by more than three to one." Suki says and with that she saunters off.

"Hey, Suki!" Naruto calls out before she disappears from sight.

Suki smiles and turns around. In some ways, Naruto was extremely unpredictable. In other ways, well she knew her husband better than she knew herself.

"Yeah?" Suki asks innocently.

"I can live with six!" He says with a grin.

"Mmm I thought that you might say that. I'll be back in a little while." His wife replies and with that, she Flickers off to find Itachi.

Over the years, her relationship with her brother had improved. There were days when she could almost pretend that the Massacre had never happened. Suki would always miss her fallen family members, but now she had a second family and she loved them just as fiercely as the first.

"Itachi, do you mind watching the children for a week in like a month or two?" Suki asks.

"You're going for baby number four already?" Her brother asks with a sly smile.

"Mmm maybe." Suki replies cautiously.

She knew what was coming. Yep. Just as she had suspected, Itachi pokes her forehead.

"Of course, foolish little sister. I don't mind watching my nieces and nephews. You should have fun with your fox." He says.

"Oh believe me, I will. Thank you." Suki says with a smirk.

"I'm betting that this one will be a red headed boy. Naruto's mother was a red head." Itachi adds.

"YOU'RE IMPOSSIBLE! I can't believe that you are still betting on my children!" She seethes.

Honestly, she couldn't believe him. Itachi Uchiha was becoming almost as bad a gambler as Tsunade. The only difference was that her brother had yet to lose a bet.

"It's just harmless fun. So I take it that you don't believe you'll have a red headed son or daughter?" He asks.

"Oh that's it. I'm in and this time, I'm going to win. You got lucky with Daichi. This one isn't going to be a red head though." Suki grumbles as she rubs her forehead.

"Foolish little sister, when are you ever going to learn? You'll never beat me when it comes to predicting things." Itachi says smugly.

"Oh yeah?! We'll see about that!" Suki growls at him.

That did it. As soon as she was fully recovered, she was going to have some alone time with her fox and she was going to prove Itachi wrong. Oh and she was going to have a damn good time doing so!

She couldn't believe that she had ever tried to sever her bond with Naruto. It was too deep. Too much an intrinsic part of her being.

"Yes, I suppose that we shall." The other Uchiha says with a smirk.

Far too wild and primal to ever be ignored. Ignoring their bond was like ignoring as wildfire. It just wouldn't end well and besides, it was much more enjoyable to allow the fire to consume you.

She doubted that this is what the Third Hokage had in mind when he said that the Will of Fire would get passed down. That didn't matter though. Naruto definitely knew how to fan her flames and she wouldn't have it, any other way.


End file.
